No Turning Back
by Crazed Maniac 02
Summary: It's Knux and Rouge's one year anniversary, and Knux realizes his strong feelings for her and gets help from a friend to make the day extra special. But as everything begins to work out, things go terribly wrong...But is it all for the best? Edit
1. A Cry for Help

Here it is, the somewhat edited version of my most successful (and controversial) fic! I'm hoping I can finish this, but as long as I have your support, I should get this done…eventually.

No Turning Back

Chapter 1: A Cry For Help

_"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" his voice echoed throughout the floating island. He heard her giggling not too far away from where he was standing. Knuckles could barely see the sun through the tall and grassy fields. His batgirl companion's smooth and stealthy moves couldn't outsmart him this time. He knew the way of the island much more than she could ever process. After seeing a glint of her dress in his peripheral vision, he knew exactly where she was heading._

_He made his way to her new hiding place before she could realize it. Knux could now see the ruffled hem of the dress he bought her. It was a baby blue knee-length one-piece with an azure floral pattern, which was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her back was facing him as her bare feet glided smoothly with the wind. She shrieked in surprise when she bumped into him, which sent her falling to the ground. She sighed sadly in defeat as she felt the soft dirt against the back of her dress. "Oh great, I ruined it." she huffed as she crossed her arms. "I should've seen this coming."_

_He held out a hand to help her up. As she took it, he replied, "All I see is perfection." He gazed into her calming aqua eyes that constantly left him with a floating feeling, whether they were on Angel Island or Station Square. He wasn't the type of person that could express his feelings in a heartbeat, so it took all of his strength to continue speaking._

_"Rouge, I can't explain the way I feel right now. It's been so hard to put it in words since I met you." He never let go of her hand as she stood before him. "The only thing I know is that I want to share my life with you... forever..." He rested himself on one knee, partly because he felt so inferior to her. His next few words flowed easy like the waterfall nearby. "Marry me, Rouge..."As he said those words, his vision of her started to blur, from her trembling feet to the flower behind her ear. Then everything faded slowly into oblivion…_

Knuckles started calling her name in his sleep as his dream faded. He tossed and turned in the bed they shared, causing her to awaken. When Rouge saw him subconsciously suffering, she rested her soft hands on his broad shoulders and called to him numerous times before he opened his eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern.

"Yeah..." he replied hesitantly while his eyes were fixed on her. He had to concentrate on the ceiling in order to bring himself back to reality. After a few seconds, he slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her warm body closer to his, and kissed her deeply. As soon as he broke the kiss, he saw the meaning of this new day. "Happy anniversary, baby." he whispered softly.

She gave a pleasurable sigh before kissing him back, competing with his previous move. "Happy anniversary, sexy." she replied.

He gave her a playful smirk as his hands massaged her thighs. "Wow, I can't believe it's been a year..." he sighed before he put his hands behind her back as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I can. We've practically been in this bed for a year." she joked as she wrapped her arms across his upper back. They shared a warm embrace for a long time before she let go and got out of bed and headed for the closet.

He pouted as she began to put her clothes on. "Hey, I thought we were supposed to spend the day together."

He could hear the sound of hangers clashing together as she replied, "We are. I just need to take care of a few things." She came out in a body-hugging red shirt with a short black skirt.

"Okay, but what's with the outfit?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, I have to look nice for our special day, don't I?" she asked as she grabbed her purse and cell phone. "I'll be back in a few hours. Call if you need me."

"I need you _now_. Can't you run errands tomorrow?" he asked while slightly annoyed.

"I'll be back before you know it. Plus, my job is at stake if I don't go." she explained.

"I guess I'll go do a few things while you're gone." he sighed sadly while getting out of bed.

She walked up to him and kissed him again while cupping his face in her hands. "You know that I would give anything to spend time with you, which is why I'm doing this now. No interruptions later, I promise, okay?"

"Alright." he agreed. "See ya."

"Bye." she called as she left him alone in their room and made her way down the stairs.

He went to his dresser and pulled out some khaki pants and a nice white shirt. Thanks to Rouge, they still smelled as if they came from the dryer, even though they were washed weeks ago. He felt so relaxed when he thought about her, until the thought of their anniversary crossed his mind. He began to panic as his mind went blank thinking of something special he could do.

After pacing back and forth for a few seconds, he stopped and looked into the mirror on top of his dresser and spotted the picture of him, Sonic, and Shadow in the gay nightclub a few months back. He shook his head and smiled at his two good friends. It had been a little less than a year since he found out that they were more than just friends. He still respected them regardless because they still helped him when he was in need, and this was one of those times. He took out his cell and dialed their number, with four rings following. Before he could hang up, he heard their answering machine pick up.

"Hey, this is Sonic..."

"And the ultimate. We're not available right now, so—"

"Probably because we're too busy staying in..."

"If you get our drift..."

Knux sighed, "Those freaky bastards." as the message continued with Sonic's cheerful voice.

"Just leave your name, number, and a message, so we can respond to you ASAP."

"Or whenever we feel like it."

The message ended with a beep, which gave Knux the cue to speak. "Hey guys, this is Knux. Um, I've got an anniversary crisis and I need your help. As soon as you're available, call me back, okay? Bye."

He closed his phone and sighed again. They were the only help he knew of, which sent him into a panic. Before he could start pacing again, a small piece of paper on the floor caught his eye. He quickly picked it up and examined it. Seven numbers were scribbled in a neat pattern. He rolled his eyes when he realized whose number it belonged to.

Sky took a deep breath and sighed at the darkness between his closed eyes and the unseen world around him. The cool breeze played with his smooth red dreadlocks as he sat in front of a willow tree that shaded him from the bright sun. His dark blue eyes held more than the average eye could see. If it weren't for the white star surrounding his left eye, he would've been mistaken for Knuckles more than usual. He had a leaner build and his sexual preference was the exact opposite of Knux's.

He met Knuckles several months ago, and he was attracted to him ever since. Even though he knew Knux didn't feel the same, he would still hit on him once in a while. Whenever he was alone like this, his thoughts would drift back to him. Sometimes he'd curse himself for doing it and tried to get himself to accept the fact that they would only be friends and nothing more.

Friends? He hadn't heard from him in weeks. What kind of friend would do that? It didn't matter; he just had to forget about him. Before he had the chance to attempt it for one last time, his cell phone rang. This freaked him out, but he answered it anyway.

"Hello?" he asked in a dull tone.

"Hey, did someone have a bad hook-up last night?" the familiar voice joked over the phone.

"Knuckles?" Sky asked, his eyes brightening at his deep voice.

"Yeah, it's me." he confirmed. "I just wanted to ask you a favor."

"Why did it seem like every fantasy of his would start with that question?" he thought, but answered with his subconscious reply: "Sure, anything."

"Um, it's been exactly a year since Rouge and I have been together, and I have no idea what I'm going to do to celebrate."

"So, you need my help." Sky smirked.

"Yes, I do. Where are you?"

"I'm in Twinkle Park."

"Okay, just meet me out front in a few minutes and then we can go from there."

"Cool, I'll see you there!" Sky was too excited to say goodbye to him before closing his phone.

Rouge walked casually into the dark room. There was a strong scent of smoke, but she was used to it by now. She welcomed it as she saw the shadowed figure leaning against the back wall. "What took so long?" he asked.

"I've got an anniversary today, sweetheart." she replied.

"And you still have time for me? Now that's my kind of girl," he commented. "Come here."

She obeyed and came as close to him as possible. Now she was the one against the wall. He kissed her aggressively, which made her forget about everything. He worked his way through her shirt and caressed her breasts. She giggled at his touch and began to work the belt buckle on his jeans. He gave her a smirk as they fell to the floor and began to slip his other hand up her skirt, working his way inside her. She gasped and moaned as she felt his every move, feeling pleasure and pain at the same time. He used his hand to support her back as she slid to the floor, trembling as his other hand left her skirt. The stilettos she wore worked her calves as she brought her knees closer to her as she spread her legs, ready for him. Her screams clouded her thoughts as he brought her home...


	2. Sky to the Rescue

Chapter 2: Sky to the Rescue

"I can't believe I'm this desperate." Knux groaned as he stood near the entrance of the huge park. His regret began to fade as Sky came over to him with no obvious intention of hitting on him.

"Hey Knux!" he greeted with a smile.

"Let's just get this over with." Knux sighed while rolling his eyes.

"Hostile, aren't we?" Sky asked with a playful smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Knux huffed.

"Well, I think it's sexy." Sky purred before realizing the awkwardness of the situation. His eyes never met Knux's as he felt his annoyed stare. "What? I gotta speak my mind, right?" There was no reply from him. Sky finally gained the courage to look into his eyes. The violet wonder made his thoughts go crazy. "Man," he thought, "if he wasn't commited, I'd be all over him like--"

"Baby!" a voice cried, interrupting his thoughts. He turned around and saw the last person he wanted to see: Rouge. As he looked at her, he felt as if something wasn't right about her, though he wasn't sure of what it was.

"Hey!" Knux exclaimed as he ran to her and held her in a warm embrace, and adding a sweet kiss in between.

"I missed you." she cooed, breaking the kiss.

"I missed you too." he replied with a cheerful voice that Sky had never recalled around him. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, just taking care of some business." she replied before giving him a suspicious look. "How did you know I was here?"

"Um, I didn't. I--"

"He has company today." Sky interrupted.

"Oh, hey Sky! Long time, no see! What are you guys gonna do today?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Well, I guess you could call it bonding, Rouge." Sky replied as he put an arm around his friend.

"Oh, how nice! Well, I'm not going to interfere. I'll see you later, baby." she said as she kissed Knux on the cheek and added, "Nice to see you again, Sky!" before she left.

"Glad that's over." Sky thought as his arm was still attatched to Knux's shoulders. He looked over to him and saw that he wasn't annoyed by his gesture at all. In fact, he wasn't aware of anything after Rouge left. He could've made out with him without as little as a word from him. "Helloooo!" Sky yelled as he waved his free hand in front of his face while unlatching his other arm from his shoulders.

"I think I love her..." Knux confessed with a dreamy look in his eyes.

"That's great!" Sky congratulated him while feigning enthusiasm as Knux continued to babble on like a lovesick child.

"That's it...I love her and I wanna marry her..."

Sky had so many responses to this, but all he could say was "Does she know that?"

The lovesickness faded with the reality of his question as it played in his mind. "No..." he finally replied.

"Well, that can be your present!" Sky exclaimed realistically.

"What are you talking about?" Knux asked with a confused look on his face.

"You could buy her a ring and propose to her tonight! You could have a party and everything!" Sky added.

Knux's eyes widened. "But wouldn't she be expecting that? I mean, it's our anniversary."

"Well, do what you feel like doing. I'm just here to help by your request." Sky suggested.

"Well, out of all my ideas, yours is the best." Knux said with a small smile.

"That's great, cause I was a jeweler not too long ago." Sky commented.

"Damn, how many jobs have you had?" Knux asked annoyingly, remembering how he was a waiter and a hotel busboy at the same time a few months ago.

"I've had six so far in the past year. What I can I say? I get around, I guess." he replied.

"I guess this'll be easier than I thought." Knux sighed with relief.

"C'mon, let's get to the jeweler's before anything good gets taken." Sky suggested before he started walking. Knux soon followed with his full attention and determination.

They eventually reached Station Square Mall with no problems. The building stood superior to the others around it. As they walked in, it didn't take them long to find a jeweler's. They put themselves on opposite sides of the store looking for the perfect engagement ring. Knux spotted one in seconds. "Hey Sky, come here!" he yelled. As soon as he arrived, Knux pointed to a five-karat diamond in the middle of the glass.

"Whoa!" Sky shouted as he shielded his eyes from the bright gleam. "Um, don't you think that's too huge of a rock?"

"Hmmm, maybe." Knux pondered as he stared into the gem without any problems.

"God, how can you look at that thing?" Sky groaned while he still shielded his eyes.

"Trust me, I've seen bigger." Knux replied.

"That's great, but we want a ring, not a tracking device." Sky advised before finally turning away from the ring.

"Mmm, true." Knux nodded before finally taking his eyes off it. "I'll find another one."

"Good." Sky sighed before returning to his side. After ten minutes of silence, he decided to check and see how Knux was doing. He walked over and saw him talking to a pretty blue fox behind the counter.

"Hold on. Let me get it, sir." she said before she disappeared from the counter and entered a back room. She soon reappeared with a small navy blue box in her hand, opening it to reveal the expensive piece of jewelry inside. It was a small gold ring with a one karat diamond with another half karat of sapphire encased in it. Knux became starry-eyed at its beauty and exquisiteness.

"Wow, it's amazing." he beamed.

"It's our rarest piece yet." the fox added.

"Which means you better be packing a lot of cash, my friend." Sky added.

Knux scoffed. "Money is the least of my problems."

After paying for the ring, they walked out and Knux led them to the nearest bench. As he sat down, he took out the ring box and opened it, gaping at the jewelry he just bought.

"She's going to love it!" Sky exclaimed.

"Yeah..." Knux agreed while gazing at it. "And I have you to thank."

"Ah, it was nothing." Sky replied with modestly.

"Well, I should go." Knux said out of the blue as he rose to his feet.

"So, it's just like that, huh?" Sky added.

Knux looked at him strangely. "What?"

"Don't you need to look nice for your proposal?"

Knux looked as if someone hit him in the head as he sat back down. "I'm so out of it today, I'm sorry." he groaned.

Sky shook his head and helped him to his feet. "No you're fine, too fine to wear just anything to your proposal. You should be glad you have me around."

As soon as they arrived in the closest men's clothing store, Sky pushed him into a fitting room with three suits and waited outside. Five minutes passed, and he still didn't have the first one on yet. "What's taking so long?" Sky asked.

"I know what I'm doing." Knux replied while almost tripping in the pants he was putting on. When he finally got his left leg in, he heard his cell phone ring. He reached for his original pants pocket, but the phone slipped from it and fell outside the fitting room. "Dammit!" he yelled.

Sky casually picked up the phone and answered it. "Hello, guys are fun!"

"Sky?" the voice identified.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Why are you answering Knux's cell? Wait, are you stalking him again?"

"No, Shadow, I'm helping him. He's trying on a few tuxes I picked out for him."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

"Any way we can help?"

"All you two have to do is call up everyone you know including Rouge and tell them to come to the restaurant I used to work at around 7:30, and everything will be great."

"Looks like you have everything under control, huh?"

"He was lost without me."

Shad laughed before he processed the whole situation. "Wait, is he--"

"Yeah, he's proposing." Sky finished for him. "Um, I hafta go. Knux just came out. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Alright. My boyfriend and I wish Knux luck."

"Thanks, bye." Sky concluded before hanging up. As soon as he put the phone away, Knux tripped out of the fitting room with only the super baggy pants covering the lower half of his body. His eyes went from the pants to his bare chest, never moving or saying a word. All he could do was imagine his fingers tracing the hard muscles and caressing them with his soft touch. Then he'd press his lips to them and--

"Um, who was that?" Knux interrupted.

"Oh, that was Shad. I've got everything under control." He then told him everything that he told Shad without his eyes wandering.

Knux gave a relaxed sigh as he forgot about Sky's lingering looks. "I don't know how you do it."

Sky's mind went away with him at that moment. "Well, I'll just softly kiss your lips, get rid of the pants, and--" Sky stopped himself from thinking any deeper. "Um, I'll go get you a smaller size pants." he said before turning away from the encounter. As he walked to the rack, Sky checked the time on his phone. It read 5:22 pm. His eyes widened at the limited time and he rushed to the rack and came back to the fitting room in an instant. "Think fast!" he yelled before throwing the pants over the door. "And hurry up, we're running out of time!"

Thirty seconds later, Knux stepped out, fully-clothed this time. He wore the same white shirt he wore earlier under a navy blue tux jacket with a black tie and matching blue pants. He also changed out of his red and yellow shoes and now wore dressy black ones.

"Wow, you look great!" Sky beamed as he gaped at him. He soon shook himself out of it. "Let's hurry up and buy it." he commanded. Knux obeyed and went back into the fitting room one last time. In fifteen minutes, they were outside the mall.

Before they could go their separate ways, Knux asked, "How about I walk you home? I definitely owe you one."

"Sure, why not?" Sky replied. "I'll lead the way."

They walked in silence for a few minutes until Sky laughed a little to himself.

"What's so funny?" Knux asked.

Sky continued to laugh before answering. "I don't get it. Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?"

"Well, isn't that what friends are supposed to do?"

"Yeah, but I thought you said that just to get rid of me." Sky confessed.

Knux shook his head. "Nah, I wouldn't do that."

"It's weird, ya know?" Sky asked while looking into his eyes.

"Yeah..." Knux agreed.

"I'm really happy for you, Knux. I'm not gonna let my feelings get in the way of your happiness, but sometimes I wish I wasn't so damn nice." Sky confessed.

Knux smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. You'll find someone better than me, count on it."

Sky sighed. "I hope so."

"I could even help you find someone." he added.

Sky smiled. "You promise?"

"Of course. Who brought Sonic and Shadow's relationship to new heights?"

"Did you really?" Sky asked with a surprised look.

"I guess they don't brag about me much." Knux joked.

If Sky hadn't looked where he was going, he would've passed his house. "Well, this is my stop."

"Okay, well, thanks...for everything." Knux confessed.

"Oh anytime." Sky said before Knux began to turn around. "Wait!"

Knux turned back. "What?"

"Hello, aren't you going to invite the genius to your party?" Sky asked.

"Yeah, I'll hafta go get him later." Knux joked.

"Ha ha." Sky mocked sarcastically. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Of course. See you later." Knux called.

"Yeah, bye." Sky waved as Knux disappeared and sighed sadly when he couldn't see him anymore. "God, what are you doing to me, Knux?"


	3. Getting It Together

Chapter 3: Getting It Together

Shadow hung up the phone with a look of ultimate surprise. He didn't think Knux would have the guts to do something so bold. After a few minutes, he got himself together and ran back upstairs. He could hear Sonic's slow breathing from a few steps away. Knowing what that meant, he slipped in slowly and quietly. Before he could go any further, two hands grabbed his middle and pulled him into a corner. When he saw blue in the corner of his eye, he gave a slick smile to his lover. "No fair." he complained.

"What? A few tricks won't kill you." Sonic rasped as his lips trailed his partner's neck.

Shadow's smile began to fade as he felt the heat coursing through him. He had to halt his natural reaction to Sonic's advances by removing his hands from his waist in order to give him Sky's message. He firmly held his hands as he spoke. "Not now, we have an engagement party to go to."

Sonic ignored him and put his face closer to Shadow's. "Aw, come on. All that time you were on the phone… I couldn't stop thinking about you. "

"Yeah, I know," Shad started as Sonic's lips were closer to his, "but we don't want to miss Knux's proposal." As Sonic's eyes widened, Shad put a finger to his lips, silencing him. "Now we've got to call everyone, including Rouge, and tell them about it."

Sonic nodded as Shad removed his finger. "Well, you can go shower while I go and make the phone calls."

"Well, actually..." Shad started as he put his arms around Sonic's shoulders. "I was thinking about you too, so if you make the calls quick, you could join me." He placed his tongue as close to Sonic's cheek without touching it before he closed his mouth. "I'll be waiting." he concluded as he released Sonic from his grasp. He could see just a hint of lust in Sonic's eyes before he sped off downstairs. He sighed slowly as he looked at the spot where Sonic was just hitting on him. "The things you do for love..."

Rouge was sprawled on the floor with her legs wide open, resting on her side when she finally woke up. It had been a few hours since the romantic encounter. She looked around and saw that her mysterious lover was nowhere in sight, which wasn't a surprise to her. As she slowly steadied herself on her feet, her cell phone rang nearby. It took a few rings before she finally found the gem-encrusted object and picked it up. She recognized Sonic's calm voice on the other end.

"Hi Sonic!"

"Hey, where are you?"

"Oh, nowhere special." she answered quickly and truthfully.

"Well, if you want to be somewhere special, you should meet Knux at your house at around 7:00. He's a little busy, so he wanted me to tell you."

"How nice. I never thought of him as the romantic type."

"You never know when it comes to him. Well, I better let you go. I'll see ya soon."

"Thanks, bye." She quickly put away the phone and made a dash for the door. The clean air outside cleared her mind of what happened a few hours ago. She went from a brisk walk to running as fast as her strong legs could carry her. Rouge was at the front door in a little less than fifteen minutes, out of breath as she opened it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered that Knux was nowhere to be found. She was too tired to think up of another excuse. After making her way upstairs, she went in the bathroom and prepared a warm, relaxing shower.

As soon as she stepped in, she could feel the start of her guilt trip. She didn't like lying to him, but she couldn't bear to tell him the truth, at least not on their anniversary. After silently promising to tell him soon, her thoughts went back to the possible surprises in store for her.

---

Sky walked into the restaurant at 6:58 pm, with an off-white suit on, which brought out the star around his eye. He spotted Sonic and Shadow in a heartbeat and joined them at their table. As soon as he saw the lustful looks in their faces, he rolled his eyes jokingly. "Let me guess: you both had some last-minute business to take care of before you got here."

"Yeah." Sonic replied after a long glance at his love.

"He made me do it." Shadow added.

"Well, you were the one who insisted that we--"

Sky cleared his throat to cut their rising argument off. "Yeah, I get it." he cut in. "I'm happy for you guys. At least you have each other." he said sadly as his eyes wandered across the restaurant.

Shadow could catch a hint of lost hope in his voice. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked with concern.

Sky concentrated on a window behind them. "I honestly don't know." he sighed.

"Not all is lost, you know." Sonic assured him.

Sky shook his head as he faced them again. "I won't be able to find anyone else like him, if that's what you're saying."

"Yeah, I know how you feel." Shadow agreed. "If he really means that much to you, then you should tell him how you feel."

Sky shook his head again. "He'll never understand. I already have to hold my tongue when I'm around him."

"You've been a great friend by doing all this for him. He should at least be able to listen to what you have to say." Sonic advised.

"I hope so." Sky sighed again.

"Don't worry. If you need us, we're here for you." Sonic said while putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks guys. I can see why so many people like you two." Sky complimented with a smile.

---

Knux arrived at the door, fully dressed in his new suit. He could sense Rouge's presence inside, almost smelling her Sweet Kisses perfume and imagining her arms around him. He couldn't remember the last time he caught himself thinking about anything else. He wiped a few drops of sweat from his forehead before he casually walked in.

He felt his jaw fall as soon as he saw her. She was wearing the same dress that he pictured in his dreams. The only difference he could see was the material hugging her curves just enough to picture the beautiful frame he saw each and every night. He took everything about her in as a smile spread across his face. "Are you ready, love?"

"Always." she replied as she took in his amazing outfit. "Where are we going anyway?" she asked as she took his hand.

"Can't tell. You'll just have to see." he replied as he led her out the door.


	4. Indecent Proposal

Chapter 4: Indecent Proposal

Knuckles and Rouge walked into the restaurant hand in hand, hearing applause from the guests as they made their entrance. Rouge smiled mildly at their audience as Knuckles searched for a table. They smiled back as she looked into everyone's cheerful expressions. Her smile faded as she looked into the eyes of her lover standing in a corner. Her concentration on her audience faded as she examined his intense gaze, but it returned in response to Knux gently tugging her arm.

"Rouge? Are you alright?" he whispered gently to her.

She faced him with a half smile on her face. "Yeah, this just blows my mind. How did you do all this?"

"I guess I have connections." he replied with a slick smile as his grip on her hand relaxed.

"You don't cease to surprise me, knucklehead." Rouge commented as she tightened her grip on his hand as a signal to her lover from afar.

Knux's smile changed into a sexy snicker. "You better watch out. I just might take your breath away."

"I think you already did that." Rouge sweet-talked back.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Knux said as he led her in the direction of the table where Sky, Shadow, and Sonic were sitting.

Rouge quickly looked back to her lover and saw the urgency in his glare. He motioned her to come over before she turned her head back around. She sighed silently as she stopped in her tracks. Knux gave her a curious look as they stopped again. "I need to clear something up. I'll meet you over there, okay?" Knux nodded as she went in the opposite direction.

Sky looked back just in time to see Knux coming toward their table. He quickly turned back in fear of what he had to do. Sonic and Shadow both gave him reassuring glances as he pretended to examine the pretty white tablecloth. He sighed as he slowly rose to his feet and faced Knux.

Knux beamed as he took in the large quantity of people in the room. "I don't know how you did this, but I definitely owe you."

Silence from his friend caused him to see the uneasiness in Sky's face. "Speaking of that, can we talk...alone?"

"Uh, sure." Knux replied hesitantly. "C'mon." he said as he led the way outside. There was a warm breeze as they walked towards the side of the restaurant. The only light they could see was the dim purple light of the restaurant sign. Knux casually leaned against the brick wall, now facing Sky. "So, what's going on?"

Sky straightened his back and clasped his shaky hands together nervously, looking across the street before speaking. "I've got to tell you something before you go through with this."

Knux's concern grew more serious as there was an awkward silence between them. "Okay, so tell me."

Sky's heart rose into his throat while his breath quickened. He sighed to himself, feeling the cold sweat forming on his forehead. "I, um-The truth is, I-uh-I mean..." he tried to form sentences, but his attempt failed. He could feel the tears stinging his eyes as he turned away from Knux.

Knux put his hands on Sky's shoulders and gently turned him back around. He gave him a warm smile as his eyes sparkled in the night. "Just relax. Take a deep breath, and tell me what's on your mind."

Sky didn't know what to do at this point. Without thinking, he put his arms around Knux and buried his head in his chest. "This is so hard for me to do, Knuckles."

"Well, you don't have to tell me now." Knux assured him, not minding their close contact.

Sky finally let go of him and heaved a big sigh, trying to get himself together. "Yeah, I do. It's now or never." He looked into his shining eyes, gradually losing control of himself. The respect of their friendship disappeared in his mind instantly, and he could feel the space between them closing in. Before Knux could stop him, his lips pressed against his. He could feel the need coursing through him, which was something he hadn't felt in a long time. To his surprise, Knux didn't push him away. The control he had over his crush gave him a sense of euphoria. As their tongues touched, everything came back to him suddenly.

He broke the kiss, feeling his cheeks flush. His eyes quickly left Knux's in pure embarrassment and guilt. "I'm so sorry. That wasn't supposed to happen. I..." With that said, he couldn't speak at all anymore. He backed away, and soon broke off in a run as he felt the tears flow down his face.

Knux tried to call out to him, but it was too late. Sky was gone. His blurred vision from the kiss soon faded and he had to press his hands against the wall in order to keep his balance on the ground. "Damn..." was all he could say at the moment.

Rouge looked frantically from the restaurant to the street, where she and her lover stood. "What are you doing?" she whispered as he pulled her through the darkness. It began to rain when they approached the sidewalk across the street. "Great, now I'm ruining my dress." she huffed while folding her arms across her chest.

He shook the thought off. "Well, I can just buy you a new one." he assured her with a smile.

Her voice heightened, but quickly lowered to a whisper as she realized their risky situation. "What am I supposed to tell him? I shouldn't even be out here!"

He placed his forehead gently against hers while looking into her eyes. His serious glare melted into a playful smile. "You're not going to tell him anything. This is just between us, right?"

His cool breath tickled her nose, making her smile. "Yeah..." she sighed.

"And besides, I like it better when I'm making you all wet." he rolled smoothly off his tongue. She giggled at the double meaning as his hands trailed her waist. He took her by surprise as he slipped his tongue in her mouth, kissing her deeply. She put her hands on his back and followed his lead. She broke the kiss as his hands went up to her chest. "We can't do this now."

He gave a fake pout, followed by a slick smile as his hands slid back to her waist. "C'mon, it'll be just like old times. Remember the first time we met?" She recalled that special night, but the weird thing was that she could never remember what happened during the day before she met him. She nodded to him in reply.

"I have everything planned out. It's gonna be all about you tonight." he rasped and began leaning in for another kiss.

She put a finger on his lips to halt his move. "You're jealous of him, aren't you?" she asked out of the blue.

He gave her a weird look and dismissed the thought, shaking his head. "Nah, I mean, you still come back to me. That proves something, right?"

"True." she agreed.

"Well, let's go then." he confirmed before taking her hand.

"Wait." she said, looking to the restaurant. "I can't leave like this. I'm supposed to be in there."

His powerful green eyes flashed with lusty control. "Don't you love me?" he asked with passion.

There was a long silence before she answered. "Yes, I do..."

He looked to the stars and back to her. "Then run away with me."

She gave him a startled look. "What?"

"You love to travel. We can see the world together." he assured her.

The thought of leaving Station Square put a smile on her face. "Visit exotic places..." she droned dreamily.

"And make love all damn day." he added.

She moaned softly as he began kissing her neck. She gently pushed him away as she gained her composure.

"So are you up for it? We can leave tonight. Just say the word." He took her hands in his and waited for her answer.

Her eyes filled with tears at his comforting intentions and the love she was possibly leaving behind. Doubt filled her mind about leaving as her thoughts went back to Knuckles.

"I'll never ask for anything from you again. Just please, do this for me. I feel like I can't live without you," he pleaded.

She could see the hopeless love she never thought she'd see in his eyes. This whole time, she thought their relationship was strictly non-committal. The meaning changed instantly when she started to feel the same love for him. "I'll go with you, but I have to tell him before we leave." she confirmed.

"Whatever you want." he said, taking her in his arms. She hugged him back and let go, knowing now what she had to do. The tears finally fell as she felt the pain she was going to bring on Knuckles. He gave her a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be." she whispered back before walking back towards the restaurant.

Knux's mind was still out of place when he neared the restaurant entrance. Before he had the chance to go in, he heard the familiar scraping of Rouge's open-toed shoes behind him. He turned around to see Rouge's tear- stained face. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and sighed before answering. "I have to tell you something, Knuckles."

Knux took her in his arms. "Everything's going to be alright, just tell me what happened."

She didn't have the guts to look at him as she confessed. "I-I'm in love with someone else."

The restaurant was full of cheerful chatter for the occasion, though no one had any idea what was happening outside.

"What's taking Sky so long?" Sonic asked impatiently.

"Maybe they're making out by now." Shadow replied as he glanced at the window. He could see Knux and Rouge outside, but something didn't look right.

"Nah, Knux wouldn't do that to Rouge." Sonic disagreed.

"Wait, what's happening?" Shadow asked curiously as he stood up.

"Huh?" Sonic asked, confused.

"Stay here." Shad said as he glided towards the door and peered through the window.

He backed away a few steps, not believing what he just heard.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, honest. I don't know what came over me, I just-- "

"How long?" he asked her calmly without looking at her. She was silent as she felt his pain. He looked up, making her see the hurt and anger in his eyes. "How long?" he asked again, now raising his voice.

"S-Six months." she answered shakily.

Knux could've sworn this was his worst nightmare. He didn't know where to start. "What did I do wrong to deserve this?"

"Nothing..." she whispered.

"I trusted you! All those times you were gone, it was him, wasn't it?" he waited for an answer. "Well?" he asked impatiently.

"Please, don't--" she pleaded.

"Don't what? Go crazy, maybe? Well, it's too late for that! Before you walk out of my life forever, I have something to say." He hesitated as felt the tears stinging in his eyes. "Did you know that you were my world? I felt like I couldn't go on without you. That was why I was going to propose to you tonight." He fumbled in his suit pockets for the ring box and showed her the beautiful ring inside. She gasped at the sight before he quickly closed the box. "Do you remember that night I took you to Angel Island for the first time?"

Her voice cracked as she spoke. "How could I forget?"

"I told you I loved you and you said that you loved me..." he said as his voice slowly melted into nothing.

"I still love you!" she cried.

"What difference does it make? The love you have for him will never compare to the love I have for you. You remember that," he said in a slightly steady tone. He turned his back to her, hiding his tears. "I can't even look at you anymore."

"I'm sorry, Knuckles." Rouge whispered.

"No, I should be sorry, sorry that I thought I could love and be loved by someone."

"You--" Rouge started.

"Goodbye, Rouge." Knuckles finished, still facing the opposite direction.

"I wish you luck, Knuckles. Goodbye." She reached out to touch him, but she retracted her hand at the last minute. "I'm sorry..." That was the last thing he heard before she walked away. As he turned back around, she disappeared around a corner. He felt numb as he fell to his knees and let the rain beat on him and his broken heart.


	5. Fly Away

Man, has it been an interesting week or what? My best fic's been deleted, I think I've got it bad for a freshman, and I'm not even sure if the site's gonna let me upload this thing. sigh But it's all good, I guess. If you haven't read my bio, I've registered on mediaminer.org under the penname SalsaLover203, where I'll be reposting Mark of Love. Anywayz, enough about me! I'ma get on with the fic! I know y'all have been waiting for what happens. Let's hope your guesses were right! Italics stand for Rouge's voice in our poor hero's head. And I don't own the song at the end. If you don't know that song, you are seriously screwed...Mild romance scene...just giving an advance warning. Happy reading!

Chapter 5: Fly Away

Knux slowly made his way into his house, never realizing the unfixable mess his new suit was in. His expression of ultimate sadness changed slightly as he felt the door slam behind him. He then sighed and walked upstairs, not phased by the darkness of his bedroom. He took his time taking off his jacket and dress shirt and tossing them on the floor. He had a harder time unbuttoning his pants in the dark, so he gave in and flipped the light switch, finding a pair of grey sweatpants near his feet. As he switched the pairs of pants, he looked over to the empty bed a few feet away. Soon enough, his eyes wandered through the whole of the room, never seeing anything that didn't remind him of Rouge. He could feel the sweat beads forming on his bare chest. Eventually, he could hear her voice in his head.

_"Knuckles, I love you...."_

He clutched his head filled with the painful memories and his legs began to give out again. "No...." he moaned.

_"I've always loved you...."_

He shuddered at her crystal clear voice in his head. "Please, don't do this to me..." he whispered.

_"You don't know how much this means to me...."_

His anger inside wasn't going to let him whimper. He stood up quickly and fumbled around for the ring box in his suit pocket. Once he found it, he gripped it in his right hand as tight as possible. As he swung his hand back, he recalled all the times she left him, and imagined her kissing someone else. He released the pressure from his hand, swinging it back forward as he saw his emerald eyes mesmerizing his once true love. The box went flying toward the window and shattered the glass resting in it. His chest heaved from the sudden surge of madness, causing him to close his eyes and try to relax. Becoming impatient from standing still, Knux went back downstairs. As he made his way towards the kitchen, he knew the solution to all of his problems...

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"You can't be serious." Sonic said, not believing what he just heard as they entered his house.

Shadow nodded sadly in reply behind him. "I know what I saw, Sonic. She told him that she was in love with someone else and she left him out there."

"But why would she do that to him? He's been nothing but faithful to her." Sonic reasoned while sitting down on the couch.

"I know. I don't get it either." Shadow agreed as he sat beside him.

"This can't be happening." Sonic whispered sadly.

Shadow wrapped his arms around Sonic and let him lay on his chest. "Wait, what happened to Sky? We haven't seen him since he left to talk to Knuckles."

Sonic sighed with a hint of frustration. "This is too weird." He reached under Shadow's arm and grabbed his cell phone.

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Sky sighed at the annoying sound of his cell phone nearby as he was uncomfortably slumped on his couch. He felt so confused at what had happened recently. He wasn't used to gaining control of situations like that. If it were anyone else, he would have kept on, but at the same time, he knew that he never cared for someone so much before.

As the ringing faded and his voice mail kicked in, he heard a soft shuffling at the door. Something told him that it wasn't new autumn leaves rustling against the porch, so he reluctantly got up and looked out the window. When he finally focused his eyes on the figure coming towards his door, he pulled himself away from the window and put a hand to his head. "I must have it bad..." he thought as he tried to get the image of Knuckles outside out of his head. His attempt was interrupted by a knock on the door.

He gave a sigh and slowly made his way to the door. When he opened the door, he couldn't believe he saw Knux come in a relaxed swagger. Sky was panicking inside, but at the same time he was relieved that he was here and they could talk in the comfort of his own home. Also, he felt that something wasn't right about Knux. Before he could get his thoughts straight, Knux forcefully hugged him from behind. The sudden action caused Sky to lose his balance and fall, taking his fateful crush with him.

Knux remained on top of him for a few seconds before he reacted. "Oooh, sorry." he breathed with an apologetic smile.

"It's alright." Sky assured before catching a whiff of Knux's breath. He became more concerned when he saw his bloodshot eyes. "Hey, are you drunk?" he asked with wide eyes.

Knux gave a snicker, which sounded like a cough and a laugh at the same time. "Drunk?" he inquired innocently. "What makes you think that?" He laughed a little more as he stood up, but stopped when he saw Sky's concern grow.

"Something went wrong, didn't it?" Sky evaluated. Silence was his reply, so he asked again. "What's wrong, Knuckles? What made you do this?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Knux whined, partially because he only remembered little of what happened at the moment.

"Well, whatever it is, you shouldn't be out this late while you're drunk. The least you can do is stay here until you sober up. Relax on the couch if you want." Sky offered as he pointed to the couch.

"Okay, if you insist." Knux said while settling on one side of couch, and Sky did the same on the other side.

They sat in silence for several minutes until Knux placed his hands behind the couch and stretched himself out. "She left me for someone else." he sighed without looking at his sober friend.

Sky looked over to him with a sympathetic look. He tried to find comforting words for his friend, but nothing came to mind.

"It hurts so bad, Sky." Knux confessed while staring at the ceiling.

"It'll get better." Sky assured him.

"I can't love anymore. It's too complicated." Knux continued.

"Don't say that. You'll find the right person soon." Sky reassured him as he put an arm around him.

Knux gave him a warm smile and sighed. "You always know the right things to say. Thanks."

"Anything for a friend." Sky replied as he smiled back. "You gonna be alright?"

"I guess so." Knux said while rubbing his head. He took in Sky's friendly gaze as he thought of what happened between them earlier. "It must've been killing you, wasn't it?"

"What?" Sky asked confused.

"What you've been feeling ever since you met me. You just couldn't hold it in, could you?" he asked slyly.

The smoothness in Knux's voice was making him blush madly. "Um, I'd rather not talk about that right now. It doesn't matter."

Knux started closing in the space between them. "Yes it does. Just admit it, you're crazy about me."

Sky began to giggle at his persuasiveness. "Stop it, you're making me---" he stopped before he could say any more.

"I'm making you what?" Knux asked slyly while capturing the lust in Sky's night eyes. "I'm listening, or am I not close enough to hear you?" He quickly kicked his shoes off and straddled himself over Sky. "C'mon, tell me." he said while adjusting himself on top of Sky.

Sky moaned softly through his teeth at the warmth of Knux's body against his. His hands held on to the couch as if he were to fall over any second. "You...." he whispered.

Knux put his arms around Sky's shoulders and seductively placed his face close to his. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't be driving you crazy." he cooed.

It was pure bliss when Knux kissed him softly. He could feel the passion boiling in him as he put his arms around the guy he seemed to be crushing on for a lifetime. He almost lost his breath when he felt Knux's slow grind against him, which broke the kiss.

"Mmmm...." Knux exhaled as he looked into Sky's eyes again. "You like that, don't you?"

"Yes, but what about you were saying earlier about love?" Sky asked in between long breaths.

"You make me forget everything. That's what I love about you." Sky's eyes widened at him mentioning love. "Just forget about Rouge and focus on us. That's all that matters."

This was exactly what Sky wanted to hear, but he suddenly remembered why Knux was here. "Are you sure, Knuckles? I mean, you're drunk."

"That doesn't matter." Knux argued.

"You know how some people get drunk and they--" Sky started, but he was cut off when Knux started singing.

"Let's fade into the sun/Let your spirit fly/Where we are one/Just for a little fun...." Sky shook off the coincidence of that being his favorite song. "I want to get away/I wanna fly away/with you..."

Sky found himself singing along while closing his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." When he opened his eyes, he felt Knux's head on his shoulder and smiled when he saw him sleeping. He ended up singing himself to sleep. "Let's go and see the stars/The milky way, or even Mars/Where it could just be ours...."

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Sorry I took so long to post. It's 1:30 in the morning, so y'all better be thankful. The next chap should be up soon after school is over, which is next weekend. For those who were hoping for Knux and Rouge to get back together, it's not likely now, so don't flame me! Review! Peace out!


	6. Love?

Chapter 6: Love?

The beautiful sunset decorated the sky with a pastel wonder, sharing its glow with the calm ocean waves. A light breeze played with Rouge's lemon yellow sundress as she walked barefoot across the soft sand, with her lover at her side. She stopped and took in the peaceful landscape that was now their home. She sighed deeply as the vibrant colors lulled her into complete relaxation. "This is so beautiful..."

She squealed in surprise as she was lifted off her feet and locked into his loving embrace. "It's like--" she started before staring into his jade eyes. His grip on her loosened as he gazed into her aqua pearls of sight. When her feet landed on the ground, she began to see new feeling in him.

He stood tall with the dim sunlight giving him a slight glow to his gray figure. He wore an unbuttoned short-sleeved navy blue shirt, which showed off his glistening arm and chest muscles. His khaki shorts were cut off just below the knee, making his strong calves more noticeable. A pair of sunglasses rested in front of his large bat ears. His warm smile seemed to brighten the aura around him. Moments later, she had her arms around him with her cheek to his chest. "Swift..." she called quietly.

"Yes, love?" he answered sweetly.

"I just realized that I made the right choice." she sighed dreamily, half- closing her eyes.

"I know baby, I know." he whispered.

"I could stay here forever." she continued as she saw faint stars appearing in the horizon.

"As long as you're with me, I'll do the same. I love you." he confessed.

She looked up at him with awe. "I love you too." As soon as she responded, she felt a familiar feeling rush over her, causing her to close her eyes. When her eyes shied away from the sunset, she could almost see Knuckles telling her the same thing. The sudden image caused her to jump in Swift's arms.

He looked at her questioningly. "Something wrong?"

She opened her eyes, identifying his concern. "No, I was just...imagining all the ways you make me feel..." she answered while helplessly looking into his eyes again.

"You don't need to imagine anymore. I'm the only one in your life now." he said before parting his lips and meeting hers.

She gave a small moan as he pulled himself closer to her body. Before she could react to his advances, he let go quickly. "Hold on." he said before walking to the nearest palm tree, picking up a white blanket. He shook the sand off of it before placing it on the ground again.

It wasn't long before Rouge was lifted off her feet again, but this time he placed her on the soft blanket while he kneeled beside her and kissed her again. She giggled at his actions. "Here?" she asked.

"Unless you're not comfortable." he replied smoothly.

"I'm not complaining." she confirmed before kissing him. She gently pulled at his shirt until it fell from his broad shoulders, then began to massage his bare back. He groaned at her touch as his hands went up her dress, helping her remove it from her body. He gave her a sly look when he saw that she was wearing nothing underneath. He kissed her in spots that he knew drove her wild. Her breaths became more shallow as she felt his hardness against her and freed his inner desire as she pulled his shorts to below his knees. He kicked them away with one leg and straddled her with both.

Her mind let loose with the sudden emotion and passion of their actions, causing her to moan and scream in pure pleasure. She could feel his lips on her neck as she suddenly screamed, "Oh, Knuckles..."

---  
_Knuckles stood on Angel Island looking into the waterfall, one of the things him and Rouge enjoyed doing together._

Without thinking, he asked, "Isn't this great, baby?"

When he heard no reply, he looked to his side. When he didn't see her, he felt the sudden chill of her words.

"I'm--I'm in love with someone else..."

For the first time in his life, his hands felt icy cold. When he tried to move, stiff frozen legs carried him almost nowhere. Soon enough, he was shivering all over. He felt as if he would die if he didn't find any warmth soon. He closed his eyes and tried not to panic.

After taking a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes to see a sapphire gleam around him. He didn't know what it was, but it was warm and comforting. "Thank you..." he sighed with relaxation as he embraced it...

(A/N: For those who don't get it, the "sapphire gleam" represents Sky's sexy eyes. Trust me, I couldn't help the symbolism!)

---

"You're welcome." he heard a voice reply.

"Huh?" He opened his eyes and saw Sky. "Wait, what are you doing here?" he asked before realizing that he was in an uncomfortable situation on top of him. "What am _I _doing _here_?" Some of the panic he felt in his dream returned when he put a hand to his throbbing head. "And why do I have such a terrible headache?" He didn't receive a reply after he rolled off of Sky. The last thing he could remember last night was drinking...

He looked to Sky with alarm. "Hey, you're not helping! Aren't you gonna tell me what the hell I'm doing here?" he yelled with frustration.

"Hey, relax. It'll all come back if you let it." Sky advised calmly.

Knux's voice relaxed as he took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm sorry." he apologized. "I don't get drunk a lot. I just hope I didn't do anything stupid." he explained.

"Yeah, I understand." Sky agreed. He just hoped that their short moments together weren't Knux's idea of stupid.

Knux groaned at the pain in his head. "My head hurts too much to recall." Knux complained. "Could you please tell me what happened last night?"

"Uh, sure." Sky replied hesitantly. He began to gain that same nervous feeling he had the previous night outside the restaurant. "You came over and told me that Rouge left you." he began. He saw Knux nod sadly at the memory. "You told me that you could never love again, but I argued with your assumption. You also complimented on how good of a friend I was." he finished, hoping that Knux would believe that that was the whole story.

"Yeah, that's sweet and all, but you kind of left out the part about how I ended up falling asleep while straddling you." Knux said anxiously. He could see the silent panic in Sky's eyes as he remained silent. He sighed impatiently. "I can tell you're one if those really bad liars, so you might as well tell the truth. Just tell me what happened." Knux demanded. "I promise I won't get mad."

"Okay." Sky sighed in surrender. "I'll tell you. You mentioned the kiss we had last night and how I couldn't control myself..." he started.

"Yeah..." Knux followed while nodding.

"You kissed me..." Sky finally said before looking him in the eyes.

"And?" Knux asked impatiently.

Sky knew he couldn't explain the physical contact between them. It was impossible to put that kind of romance into words. "And nothing else happened. You just kissed and fell asleep on top of me." he concluded.

Knux eyes him curiously. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Sky replied while putting on his best fake smile.

"Okay, I believe you." Knux said with a smile. "I'm glad I can trust you. People like you are so hard to find."

"I'm just doing my best." Sky assured him.

"So tell me, how good was I?" Knux asked with a smirk.

Sky giggled and looked away as he felt his cheeks flush. "Please, don't ask me that."

"Come on." Knux teased. "You can tell me."

Sky thought for a few seconds. "I'll answer your question if you'll answer mine."

Knux looked surprised for a few seconds, but agreed to the terms. "Okay. Since I asked first, you have to answer. Was I good?"

Sky sighed dreamily. "Too good to be true."

"I thought so." Knux commented. "Okay, ask away."

Sky had so much to ask him, but he had to think of a question that would give him all the answers he needed. After a few seconds, he had it all figured out. "Okay, here it goes: Do you have any feelings for me at all?"

Knux had an unreadable look on his face when he processed that question. Before he could say anything, all the memories of last night came back to him. When he arrived at the party with Rouge, Sky wanting to talk to him, the kiss that had him spellbound for a few minutes...He had never felt something so powerful in his life. It surprised him, but not as much as what happened a few hours later...

Though he was still heartbroken from Rouge, he couldn't figure out how he could just forget everything when he was with Sky. He wouldn't call himself gay, but he was still confused. "What do you want from me, Sky?" he asked.

Sky placed a hand on Knux's cheek as he answered, "I want you to be honest, love..."

His words slowly echoed throughout his mind as he contemplated his answer...

---

Rouge woke to the sound of the ocean. She was surprised to see that Swift wasn't by her side as she sat up. He didn't seem to mind too much that she screamed Knux's name instead of his. She decided to find a way to comfort him when she saw him with just his shorts on several feel away near the low ocean tide. Before walking up to him, she wrapped the blanket around her to hide her heavenly body. As she sat beside him, he didn't say a word. He didn't react when she rested her head on his bare shoulder. She sat up, tired of the silence. "I said I was sorry. I thought you said you didn't mind."

"I don't." he said with a huff.

"Well, what's wrong then? Is it the typical masculine jealousy?" she joked with a smile.

"You were talking in your sleep about him..." he replied softly with hurt.

"Well, I've done that before, right?" Rouge asked while shaking the thought of last night off. He shook his head in reply. "I'm sorry, I thought you didn't care..." she apologized.

"That was before I realized that I cared for you. This isn't just a joke to you, is it?" he asked while avoiding her eyes.

"No, of course not! You know I love you." she assured him.

"That may be true, but you still love him. Am I right?" He didn't get a reply, so he sighed and got up. "I rest my case." he concluded as he walked away.

She followed and caught up with him. "I picked you, didn't I?"

He stopped and faced her. "As much as I want to stay with you, I can't stand the thought of you loving him anymore, whether it's physically or mentally."

"I broke his heart, Swift. I can't go back." she admitted.

"So you want me to ignore the fact that I'm second to him, even when I'm closer to you? I don't think I can do that anymore, Rouge. I want you to be happy, even if it means going back to him." he explained sadly.

"I'm so sorry for hurting you, Swift." she apologized.

"I'm gonna miss our beautiful nights together." he sighed.

"They may not be over." she assured him while tracing his chest with her fingers.

He took her hands and kissed them gently. "I think they are. Go claim your love. I wish you luck."

She pulled him into a tight embrace. "Thank you so much...for everything..." she said as tears ran down her face.

"I'll always be here for you. If it doesn't work out, give me a call. I'll be waiting." He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before he let go of her.

---

Sky looked away from Knux as he figured out how he would take the rejection. He guessed he could give him advice on how to get Rouge back. He pulled his knees up to his chest and patiently waited for his answer.

It felt like hours until Knux finally broke the silence. "I'll tell you what, let's test the waters first." Sky looked at him questioningly as he explained. "I want you to relax and don't hold back, give it your all. If I feel something, you'll know."

"And if you don't?" Sky wondered.

"I'll leave...forever..." Knux answered.


	7. Where You Are

Chapter 7: Where You Are

Rouge had finished packing her things and stood where her and Swift were once united in love. She now wore a teal tank top, tight black pants and boots. She turned from the beautiful ocean when she heard Swift's feet against the sand. Feeling the hurt through his smile, she wrapped him in a tight hug.

"You'll never know how far I'd go to keep you here with me," he declared in her arms, "but I know you have to do what you must."

"Just remember," she started as she looked at him, "I'll never regret that night we met."

He nodded slowly. "No matter what, I'll always love you."

"I know. I love you, too." She could feel the tears in her eyes as he kissed her. She reacted in sympathy and they shared one last kiss.

He finally broke the kiss after a few seconds. "Goodbye, Rouge." he said as he watched her stretch out her wings.

"Goodbye, Swift." her voice cracked as she took to the air.

---

When she finally saw the tall buildings of Station Square in her sight, visions of Knuckles took over her mind. The last thing she saw was his look of pure hurt at what she told him. All she could hope was that he had the heart to forgive her. She landed on the top of a tall brick building, desperately needing to hear his voice. It didn't take long for her to take out her cell and dial his number...

---

Sky was overwhelmed at Knux's decision to give him a chance, but something felt strange about it. His conscience was telling him to leave him alone so Knux could deal with the break-up on his own, but his inner desire was telling him to comfort him and never let him leave.

"Are you okay?" Knux asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah..." Sky answered. "I just don't want you to leave..." he trailed off as his feelings were getting the best of him.

"Well, do something about it." Knux teased with a smirk.

"You don't have to tell me twice." Sky said before his lips finally touched his. After a few seconds, he could feel their tongues intertwining and it was the best feeling in the world. The intensity of the kiss caused Knux to rest his back against the couch while Sky was adjusting himself on top of him.

Sky didn't have to do anything else. He didn't care if Knux wanted him to take it slow, or if he really wanted him right then and there. It was a relief to know that he was winning the greatest prize of his life, which was moaning under him. This continued for minutes until he could feel a vibration between them. It tickled him, so he broke the kiss laughing and sat up.

Knux reached in his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Perfect time to have a vibrating cell phone, huh? I'll be right back, okay?" Sky nodded while continuing to laugh as Knux took the call from outside.

---

"Hello?" he greeted breathlessly as a result of his past actions.

"Knuckles, it's so great to hear your voice." his once true love responded.

His happiness changed to anger as he recognized Rouge's voice. "What do you want?" he demanded softly.

"I need to see you." Rouge replied with a sense of desperation.

"Now you need to see me. How about those nights when I needed you? Did you respond?" he asked with anger and hurt.

"I was wrong. You need to hear me out--"

"I don't need to hear anything!" he interrupted, "You hurt me, Rouge. I can't forgive you for that."

"Please, I know you still love me. I love you. We can work this out." Rouge assured him.

"Just meet me at my house. I'll let you talk, then you can pack your shit and leave." Knux concluded before he hung up the phone. He went back in the house to see Sky lying in the same spot he was in a few minutes ago. "I've got something to take care of." he announced.

"Already?" Sky groaned. "But we were just--"

"I know. Just bear with me, okay?" Knux persuaded.

"Anything for you." Sky answered with a smile. "I'll be waiting."

"Not for long." Knux said before leaving again.

"Let's hope not." Sky said to himself. "We've got a lot of catching up to do.."

---

Knux arrived at his door with doubts as he stuck his key in the lock before realizing the door was already unlocked. He had to remind himself to get his lock changed after she left. He walked in and didn't see Rouge anywhere downstairs. He gave a longing look upstairs before thinking, "She couldn't be up there..." His suspicion got the best of him, so he began to ascend the stairs. "She's probably packing her things, no worry." he kept thinking. He was surprised to see her sitting in the middle of the bed with her legs stretched out underneath her while she gazed out the window. "Get off my bed." he commanded as he rolled his eyes.

"Hey, this used to be my bed, too." she replied. "I was just reminiscing about the lovely times we had on this bed..."

"Don't start." he said bluntly. "I'm only here to talk. Start talking."

She sighed before looking at him. "I made the wrong choice, Knuckles. I hurt you. I'm sorry."

"Yeah? Well, what do you want me to do?" he asked impatiently.

"When I left, I realized how much I missed you. You've been nothing but true to me, and I want to do the same. I hope you can forgive me." she confessed.

"I can't. How can I forgive someone I don't trust?" he asked angrily.

"I'm sure it'll take a while to forgive, but I know you can't forget." Rouge said with a captivating smile.

Her alluring stare made the two sides of him go crazy. While his mind swore to him that he would never move from his spot from the door and avoid her seduction, his body was doing the exact opposite. Once he got to the edge of the bed, he finally stopped himself. "Oh no. That's not gonna work this time." he stated as he crossed his arms.

"What are you talking about? It's already working." Rouge said before grabbing his arm and pulling him on the bed next to her. She placed a hand on his chin and made him look into her eyes. "I know you miss me. I miss you too. Give me a chance to make everything up to you." she begged romantically.

He felt her hands caressing his back, and all the old feelings for her came back to him as he closed his eyes in relaxation. He wanted to touch her and kiss her like they used to, but he wanted to clear one thing up. He opened his eyes and stared at her. "What if I told you that I'm with someone else?"

She looked surprised for a second, but replied with "I'm sure whoever it is can't do this." before she enticed him with her lips on his neck. She purposely teased the spot just below his chin on the right side like she always did when she wanted it her way. She smiled victoriously as she heard his satisfied response.

"We haven't finished talking yet." he said while gently pushing her away. "I can't deny that I miss you and that I still love you." he confessed. "And I--" he stopped when he looked into her eyes. He could see the aqua in the tears he cried the other night. He thought of Sky and how he never turned his back on him and how he was patiently waiting for him to come back. He knew he could never betray him, like his own love did. He took a deep breath and sighed, "I can't do this. You have to leave."

"Wait, what? Why?" Rouge asked dumbfounded. "I thought you said--"

Knux interrupted, "I don't care what I said. What matters is that you have to get your stuff and leave. We're over." he confirmed while standing up.

Rouge gave him a look of denial. "I know you don't mean that."

Knux's eyes widened with anger. "Are you deaf? I said get the hell out!" he yelled.

"What do I have to do to convince you to forgive me?" she yelled between tears.

"I forgive you, Rouge, and I should be thanking you for making me realize what love is. It's being there for someone regardless of the situation and trying your best to make it better for them. You weren't an example of that, and now I've found someone who is. I told you that you had your chance, but you blew it. If you miss me, that's your own damn fault. I'm not gonna be your second choice. You can just forget it." He sighed while trying to ignore the hurt in her eyes. "Just leave, please." he whispered.

A single tear fell from his eye at the bluntness of his words and her silently packing for good. Before she left the room, she gave a longing look toward him. He slowly turned away and pretended to stare at the window. When he heard her leave, he was relieved. A few moments later, he could see her on the porch walking towards the grass out front and welcoming the sky with her wings. The memories of her seemed to fade as she did the same in the sky...

---

(A/N: Hmm, let's see if anyone can get the sick and twisted meaning in this next section. I know this is drama/romance, but I couldn't resist the quick humor...Enjoy!)

Sonic woke up to complete darkness on the couch. He looked around to see that all the blinds were closed, blocking out the sunlight from outside. He began adjusting himself on the couch before he felt something warm and hard against his back. As he scooted back against the side of the couch, he felt it moving with him. He let out a loud moan. "Oh Shadow..."

Shadow heard his name from the kitchen and he went in the living room to see what was going on. "What Sonic?"

"Huh?" Sonic asked, confused. "Shadow, where are you?"

"I'm right here." Shadow said from the doorway as he flipped on the light.

Sonic still looked confused. "Wait, if you're right there, then what..." he trailed off as he rolled over and saw Shad's cell phone from where he was once laying. He tried to hide his embarrassment by looking at the couch and wondering what else was under there.

"Great, I leave for one second and you wanna get it on without me." Shad joked sarcastically.

"Shut up." Sonic whined playfully. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"I'm not telling." Shad said in a singsong tone.

Sonic sighed. "Do we have to go through the confessional again?"

Shad gave him a questioning look. "What 'confessional'?"

Sonic pulled a random object out of the couch and slinked up to Shad's side. "I think I'm the one who's supposed to be asking the questions here."

Shad could feel the snugness of the handcuffs around his wrists and winced slightly. "Is this a sick and twisted way of saying that you love me?"

Sonic rolled his eyes as he dragged Shadow upstairs. "You know what? You ask too many questions..."

(A/N: I know that had nothing to do with the plot, but I don't care...)

---

Sky had his eyes closed as he lay on the couch waiting for Knux to come back. He could almost feel his warmth against him and it drove him wild. "If only he could come back sooner..." he thought.

When he finally heard the door open, his spirits rose higher as he saw Knux. "Hey, I missed you..." he greeted.

"Same here." Knux agreed while putting his arms around Sky's shoulders, bringing him closer.

"So, what did you have to do?" Sky asked. He listened attentively as Knux told him everything from the phone call to watching Rouge leave. "Well, I'm glad you cleared everything up with her."

"And I'm glad that you're always here for me and letting me know where I belong." Knux said before leaning in for a kiss.

Sky stopped him and asked, "So when you were talking about love, you were talking about me, right?"

"Who else would I be talking about? You're the only one who's proved that to me." he declared. "Now I know that all the things I said last night were true, but I forgot one thing." he said as he pulled Sky even closer.

"And what's that?" Sky asked questioningly.

"You're an awesome kisser." Knux complimented as their faces met.

"What are you waiting for? Watch me work." Sky joked before kissing him again.

---


	8. Apprehension

Chapter 8: Apprehension

Knux came up for breath after it seemed like hours since he got lost in Sky's kiss. He could feel the damp sweat in his dreadlocks as he took in the cool air around him. He looked down at Sky, who had his eyes closed on the couch while panting. After a few seconds, he leaned in toward his ear and whispered, "Are you alright?"

Sky opened his eyes and gave a lustful stare while he caught his breath. "What do you think?" he answered. "I'm just surprised that I finally got what I want for once." he scoffed.

"What do you mean? You had all those jobs. You must have lots of money now." Knux mentioned.

"Sure, but money's not everything." Sky stated with a smile. "But it's surprising how you changed your mind about me so fast."

"Yeah, Rouge had a major part in that, but I don't want it to seem like I kissed you because she was cheating on me. I guess I couldn't hold my feelings in last night and ever since then, I still can't." Knux confessed.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Sky agreed before pausing with a curious look.

"Good." Knux said before taking in Sky's suspicious stare. "Hey, what's on your mind?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing." Sky replied while looking towards the door. "Just thinking of something."

"You care to share with me?" Knux asked with a smirk.

Sky crossed his arms and faked deep thought while sighing. "I don't know..." He looked back at Knux and copied his smirk. "What'll you give me for it?"

"Anything you want." Knux promised as his hands slipped down to Sky's waist.

Sky giggled at his touch before answering, "How about we get out of here and go public?"

"I think that would work. Let's make it even better and bring Sonic and Shadow along." Knux suggested.

"That sounds great!" Sky exclaimed. "I have the perfect place in mind."

"Have you ever worked there?" Knux asked.

Sky shook his head. "Nah."

"Even better." Knux joked. Sky poked him in his side in return, which made him fall hard against the other side of the couch. "Well, aren't we the aggressive type?"

"You should see me in bed." Sky commented.

"Sure." Knux said sarcastically. "Maybe we should leave before you get any ideas."

"Aren't you gonna go home and make yourself look sexy for me before we go?" Sky advised.

Knux laughed. "Of course. I got to get the smell of you off me anyway." He was answered by a sofa pillow in the face. He rubbed his cheek after it landed on the floor. "Hey...that hurt." he whined fakely.

"If you're trying to get me to feel sorry for you, it's not working." Sky said while crossing his arms again.

"It doesn't matter, you're gonna kiss me anyway." Knux said while rolling his eyes.

"You know me too well..." Sky admitted as he stood up and walked towards him.

---

Rouge stood in front of the hotel entrance/exit and sighed. She had already checked in and put her stuff down in her new temporary room. She still couldn't believe that her plan backfired and he put her out knowing that he still loved her. As she walked into the parking lot, she thought of how to find out who he was with. Rouge knew that whoever she was, she could chase her away easily. She knew she wasn't going to find out directly from him, so she had to think about who would spill the beans first. He only had a few close friends, and it only took her a few seconds to make her conclusion about who she would confront first.

---

Shadow was laying on the bed with his arms stretched above his head from the pull of the handcuffs from the bedpost. He groaned as he felt the warm sweat all over his body and Sonic towering over him. "Someone turning the tables here?" (A/N: For those How Close fans, you know what I mean...)

Sonic gave Shadow a devious look. "I'm not falling for your sexy charm this time. You're gonna tell me everything I wanna know."

He reached over and tightened the handcuffs, which made Shadow wince slightly. "Damn, if you wanted to be so dominant, you could've asked. I would've said yes." he complained.

"C'mon, I know you're liking this. Now, I'm only gonna ask you this once, or something's coming off." he demanded.

"The handcuffs, maybe?" Shadow suggested hopefully.

Sonic's answer was interrupted by the doorbell. He sighed impatiently and got off the bed. "Don't move." he commanded as he walked towards the door.

"It only hurts even more when I do." Shadow reminded him.

"Oh, well good then." he said with a smirk before leaving the room and answering the door downstairs. He was surprised to see Rouge standing at the doorstep.

"Hey Sonic." she greeted with a smile. "Where's Shadow?" she asked.

"Ummm..." he hesitated. "He's...a little tied up right now." he finally confessed.

Rouge couldn't help laughing. "Oh, I didn't know you were into those kind of things, Sonic. I like that." she complimented.

"Oh, thanks. You know, heroes don't always have to be good all the time." he commented.

"You're exactly right." Rouge agreed. "Um, I came here because I was wondering if you could answer some questions I have."

"Uh, sure. Ask me anything." he offered.

"Who is Knux with?" she asked quickly.

"Um, with you until that incident at that restaurant. After that, I have no idea."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked forcefully.

"Yeah, I haven't heard from him since." he said truthfully.

"That's weird." she thought. "Do you know of anyone who has?" she questioned.

At that moment, everything clicked in his mind and he knew exactly what was going on. "Ummm..." he paused. Before he knew it, the front door was slammed shut and his shoulders were pinned to the wall with her hands. He tried to ignore the sudden action as he joked, "Rouge, you know that I'm not like that."

Her grip on his shoulders tightened. "Look, you little blue annoyance, the next words that are coming out of you will be who the hell is manipulating my love!" she spat with venom. She heard a small chuckle from Shadow, who was now halfway down the stairs. She ignored it and continued with an evil glare at Sonic with her aquamarine eyes.

"Alright." he sighed in defeat. "I'm not 100 sure, but I think he's with Sky." he admitted.

Her glare remained the same. "You're kidding."

"You're gonna listen to him?" Shadow commented with a smirk.

"I still don't believe it, but Sky would probably know what was going on. Thanks Sonic." she said before relaxing her grip on him. "I'm gonna go, so you might wanna recapture your prisoner." she advised before opening the door and closing it behind her.

Shadow scoffed at him. "If I were you, I wouldn't have told her anything. She's probably gonna kill him now."

Sonic gave him an evil glare. "What would you know, and how did you get out of those handcuffs?"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I know these things. I was evil once, you know. And it doesn't matter how I escaped. You'll just have to delve into the mystery of it."

"If she hadn't interrupted me, I still would've had you." Sonic huffed.

"At least she doesn't know where he lives, right?" Shadow hoped.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you." Sonic considered from her recent appearance.

---

"Ah..." Rouge sighed in victory as she looked at the written address in her hand, which matched the door she stood in front of. She knocked a few times, but didn't hear a reply from inside. She knocked again, hoping that someone was there. She then became impatient and turned the doorknob, which was unlocked.

Her eyes widened as she saw Knux and Sky locked in a tight embrace and making out right in front of her. She hid her shock with a sarcastic comment. "Well, this is cute."

Knux broke the kiss immediately after hearing her voice. "Don't tell me." he said with an aggravated sigh while looking at Sky.

"Looks like you two need some alone time." Sky said quickly before beginning to make an escape. He didn't get far when Knux grabbed his hand to keep him by his side. "Wait." he softly demanded.

"Yeah." Rouge agreed. "This obviously involves you too."

"What are you doing here?" Knux asked viciously.

"Well, I was going to see if your 'friend' knew what was up with you, but it looks like I walked in at the right time." she answered with a sly smile.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Sky finally asked.

"It didn't suit me the first ten times." she answered without looking at him and focusing on Knux. "So, was the kiss a dare, or did you feel sorry for lonely boy here?" she vexed.

Knux kept a tight grip on Sky's hand as he replied, "Neither. We're together."

Rouge could see the solemnity of his words in his eyes, but she wasn't giving up. "I could barely believe it when Sonic told me." she added with a laugh.

"He told you?" Knux asked with wide eyes. "But how did he--"

"Oh, it was just a hunch, but what matters is he told me exactly what I wanted to know." Rouge cleared up before turning to Sky. "Wow, I never thought I could consider you of all people competition. Good for you, but it won't last long. He's just with you so he can forget about me, but we both know that'll never happen." she commented snidely before looking back at Knux. "No matter how hard you try, you can never forget about me. You love me too much." she said while shaking her head.

"You're delusional." Knux retaliated.

Rouge stared at him with a look of fake surprise. "Am I? You were heartbroken when I told you everything, and now you act like I don't matter."

"You don't. Not anymore." Knux growled.

She scoffed. "You think you're so convincing. I'll never believe you. Unlike you, I know what's in my heart." she concluded before giving one last look at them before slamming the door behind her.

There was a long silence before Knux spoke again. "I can't believe her." Knux snorted while rolling his eyes. He looked over to Sky when he let go of his hand. "Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Maybe we should do this another time." Sky suggested blankly.

Knux looked at him and chuckled. "C'mon, you didn't take what she said seriously, right?"

"I just need some time to think." Sky said sadly.

"Look, we shouldn't let her ruin our plans. I'm still psyched about going out as much as you are." Sky didn't answer as he looked away. Knux continued anyway. "I know this is what you want. This isn't about me or Rouge, it's about us." he said while wrapping his arms around his neck. "If you have something on your mind, don't hesitate to tell me. Now, what do you say?" he asked convincingly.

Sky turned to him with a weak smile. "How can I say no?"

"Great. You won't regret this, I promise." Knux said while taking Sky's hands in his.

"I know." Sky agreed. "I'll call Sonic and Shadow while you leave and go change."

"Okay." Knux said before giving him a quick kiss. "Meet you back here in an hour?"

"Whatever suits you." Sky decided.

"Alright, I'll see you then." Knux said before he left.

---

Shadow began to grow tired as his feet pounded against the carpet as he ran, but he tried not to show it as Sonic was trying to catch up with him from behind. He slipped into their bedroom, hoping that Sonic wouldn't notice. As he ducked behind the bed, he saw Sonic glaring at him on the bed. Shadow jumped up against the wall opposite the bed and rushed out of the room, giving him enough time to find another hiding place. His eyes rested on the linen closet on the other end of the hallway. Luckily, the door was cracked so he slipped in without much noise. He could hear Sonic's footsteps across the hallway and stopping occasionally at each room. He silently celebrated in victory when he heard a faint ring from the room Sonic was in. After a few minutes, he heard Sonic walk back into the hallway.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." Sonic called.

"And why would I want to do that?" Shadow teased.

"Because we have a date with Knux and Sky soon." Sonic reasoned.

"You're kidding." Shadow said as he walked out of the closet.

"Think what you want, we're leaving in an hour." Sonic said as he rushed into the bathroom.

"Whatever you say." Shad agreed before removing a towel under his foot.

---

Knuckles, Shadow, and Sonic arrived at Sky's house on time. Sonic walked in first in a black tank top covered with his favorite jean jacket with a nice pair of midnight blue jeans on and new black shoes. Shadow walked in behind him wearing a navy blue shirt with black jeans and boots. Knux came in last wearing a wife beater under a button-down white dress shirt with black dress pants and white shoes. (A/N: For any music fans, think of the sexy outfit Pharrell wore at the end of "Frontin'." Yeah, baby!) Knux didn't see Sky anywhere downstairs. "Sky, we're here!" he called up the stairs.

"Coming!" he yelled before sliding down the railing and landing next to Knux. He wore a sleeveless red shirt with a pair of navy blue pants and matching shoes with red laces. He also had a silver star necklace around his neck. His smile at everyone grew wider as he looked at Knuckles. "You look great." he breathed.

"Thanks. I can say the same for you." Knux complimented with a smile.

"So it is true, you guys are finally together." Shadow beamed.

"Yeah." Sky said while holding Knux's hand. "Unbelievable, isn't it?"

"Not really." Shadow answered. "I had an idea of it in the first place."

"Why do you always have to be so full of yourself all the time?" Sonic complained.

"Because I love driving you crazy." Shadow answered with a smirk.

Sky laughed at the cute couple. "C'mon guys, let's go." They all left Sky's house and spent the whole time talking about what happened in the past few days. In fifteen minutes, Sky halted Sonic's rant about his dominance issue when they almost passed their destination, which was a small bar. It had a small stage opposite a group of tables. They entered and found a nice spot in the corner to sit in. Sonic began a conversation as soft acoustic guitar music played in the background.

"So, have you two heard from Rouge lately?" he asked curiously.

Knux looked to Sky, who looked like he wanted to avoid the subject, then said, "Yeah, but it wasn't a big deal."

"I told the idiot that telling her was a bad thing to do." Shadow said.

"Hey, she wanted to know! And you saw how she confronted me." Sonic argued.

Shadow turned to Knux and Sky and smiled. "It was pretty funny, actually." Sky managed a smile as Sonic glared at his partner.

"She acts like I'm going to regret breaking up with her, but I won't." Knux assured himself. "Right, Sky?"

"Yeah." he agreed with a smile. "I'm gonna help him through it."

"That's great. We will too." Shadow promised.

"Thanks guys. That means a lot." Knux said.

Sonic was about to say something when everyone's attention focused on the stage. A tall fox approached the microphone. "If I could have everyone's attention, please." The bar fell silent as everyone turned to the speaker. "We have something special for you tonight. Someone has volunteered to share some poetry with us. Please give a round of applause for Sasha." Everyone applauded as a purple hedgehog with blue streaks approached the stage. She was wearing velvet lavender shirt with a black ribbon at the neckline and a knee-length black shirt and black platform shoes. (A/N: For those who don't know, she's appeared in my humor fic and a deleted fic of mine.)

She smiled at her audience as the fox gave her the microphone, which she adjusted so she could speak while sitting on a small black stool. "Thank you. Um, I'm going to recite a poem I wrote a few days ago. It's called 'Apprehension.'" She paused before adding, "This is a love poem, so some of you may relate to it. Enjoy." She took a deep breath and started.

"I can't believe it/Unpredictable that I found love/I'm so caught up/And you're all that I'm thinking of...

I know this feeling will last/As long as you're here/This phase won't pass/ I just want you near...

But I still fear...

Your past actions/Am I giving you enough satisfaction?...

I can still see you with her/Even though you're with me/Isn't it crazy/How she fits in your fantasies?...

I could see you touching her/Giving her your all/I could see you loving her/With you, she'll fall...

You told me it was over/But I don't see the truth in your eyes/How long will you keep this up/Before our relationship dies?...

It's kinda funny/How we were a success overnight/Loosening ourselves up/As our emotions took flight..."

Sky was amazed at how much this was relating to his feelings so far. He could barely look at Knux as he continued to listen.

"It was amazing/I was under your spell/The passion was growing/We could both tell...

I can still feel you gripping my waist/Comforting me with your kisses/It's affection like that/A good lover misses...

I wish you would make up your mind/I'm patiently waiting/Every second that passes/The love begins fading...

Maybe I should just let you go/Have your own way/Accept the fact /That you don't want to stay...

Or maybe I should admit/I'm too paranoid/I need to know the truth/So you can fill my void...

I must give up and confess/No one's needed you more than I have/I know she's never experienced/An addiction so bad..

Tell me I'm confused/I have this all wrong/And stay with me /All night long...

And when morning comes/You'll say, "I'll never leave."/Giving me the first chance in my life/To embrace love and breathe...

I'm giving this my best/Can't you see/That you're the only one for me?..."

The audience applauded wildly as Sasha took a bow and walked off stage. Sky still couldn't look at Knux. Her words gave him a new view towards him and Knux's situation. He began choking mentally at the reality of it. "Oh God..." he whispered.

"Something wrong?" Sonic asked him.

Sky quickly got up. "I just need some air. If you'll excuse me..." He rushed towards the door and embraced the cool air outside.

---


	9. Love and War

What up y'all? I'd like to give a few shouties before I start this next installment. First of all, I wanna thank Mel and insane-o-matic for staying true. Lots of love to Mike, for being an inspiration for me to start this popular fic. To Special, for being there and finally reading this bad boy! I thank you for all the reviews! To the rest of you, I appreciate the reviews, good or bad. Thanks for the support! More twists and turns are comin' at ya!  
  
I'd like to dedicate this chapter to insane-o-matic for keeping hope in our favorite couple. You made it possible! I love ya!  
  
Chapter 9: Love and War  
  
Sasha was in a world of encouragement and congratulation as a majority of the audience showered her with compliments. She gave an innocent smile and thanked each member with the best of her kindness before an impatient foot tapping backstage interrupted her. "Um, I have to go. I'll be back here soon," she concluded before leaving her audience and following the constant tapping behind the curtains. When she got to her destination, she saw the persistent batgirl and gave a sly smile.  
  
"So, how did it go?" Rouge asked impatiently in a whisper.  
  
"Worked like a charm. 'Lonely boy' just left." Sasha informed while matching Rouge's tone.  
  
"Great." she droned with a hint of excitement. "Where did you get such priceless work?" (A/N: Priceless... I must be kidding.... $$)  
  
"Let's just say that there wasn't 'only one' involved." she said with a smirk.  
  
Rouge scoffed, "Yeah, I'm sure."  
  
"I still don't know why you didn't just go up there and read it yourself. I could've held Knuckles down for you." Sasha suggested.  
  
"I didn't want to put too much force on him, plus these days, he'll kiss anyone." Rouge reasoned with jealousy.  
  
"You're probably right. I'm too attractive for my own good." Sasha complimented herself.  
  
"Yeah, we wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea." Rouge agreed. "So, what do you think they're doing now?"  
  
"For all we know, Knuckles could be chasing after him." Sasha guessed with a shrug.  
  
"Trust me, he won't get too far before he realizes that he still loves me once and for all." Rouge bragged.  
  
"And what if that doesn't happen?" Sasha wondered.  
  
"Are you doubting my scheme?" Rouge asked viciously.  
  
Sasha's eyes widened at her sudden anger. "No, but there's always that possibility that Knuckles has moved on for good."  
  
Rouge couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What are you, my therapist? I'll prove it to you!" She grabbed Sasha's hand and led her out the side door.  
  
---  
  
Sky embraced the cool air outside and took in the peaceful city atmosphere. For once, it was relatively quiet as he strolled through the streets of Station Square, which allowed his thoughts to wander. He remembered every word of the poem as he repeated it to himself silently.  
  
_"I can see you touching her/Giving it your all/I can see you loving her/With you, she'll fall..."  
_  
That stanza seemed to stick in his mind as he thought about the confrontation with Rouge Knuckles told him about earlier. He started to wonder if there was something Knuckles was hiding, like if he gave in to her seduction. He could almost see his pity of her in his eyes as she told him how much she missed him and his past love for her renewing.... He stopped himself before he could envision any further. In the process, he accidentally bumped into a navy blue hedgehog walking in the opposite direction.  
  
"Hey, watch where you're going!" he snapped before walking away.  
  
"Sorry...." Sky apologized before he leaned against a brick building and sighed heavily. He looked up at the starlit sky, hoping to find some comfort and answers in it, but he didn't succeed. His vision of the sky blurred with tears and he slowly slid down the wall and sat down, burying his head in his knees. As soon as he felt the tears falling down his face, he felt as if he had no reason to live anymore.  
  
---  
  
Knuckles rushed out the door and immediately began looking for Sky. Right then, he had just realized the intensity of the poem as he jogged down the street. He thought he caught a glimpse of Rouge with someone near the intersection he just passed. He stopped and wondered if she had anything to do with this. He took a few backward steps to see her under the streetlight with the poet.  
  
"So.... we meet again...." she said with her arms crossed.  
  
"You.... you set that whole thing up, didn't you?" he growled.  
  
"What? I was simply bringing out the truth. People seem to avoid it these days," she stated.  
  
"This jealousy scheme isn't going to work. You shouldn't have to hurt innocent people in order to get what you want." Knux retorted.  
  
"If you had just told me that you still loved me, none of this would've happened." Rouge snapped back.  
  
"See, that's the problem right there! You're holding on to a lie! Were you not listening to a word I said before you left me? I said you had your chance, and you can't get it back. I can't love you anymore." Knux confirmed.  
  
Sasha had an uncomfortable look on her face as she felt the truth of his words. "You proved your point, Rouge," she said sarcastically. "Can I go now?"  
  
"Whatever." Rouge confirmed while concentrating on Knuckles. "You're the one who's lying! I was, and still will be the best love you had! I'm not going to be thrown away like yesterday's newspaper!"  
  
"Which is exactly what you did to me." Knux confessed. "Without considering my feelings, you met someone else and cast me aside. Now you feel the exact same way. That's called karma. I'm wasting my time talking to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have someone to find." he concluded before going back the way he came.  
  
---  
  
It didn't take him long to find Sky sitting on the sidewalk. He sat down beside him and whispered his name. "Sky?"  
  
Sky knew that voice from anywhere, but he didn't want Knux to see him like this, so he kept his face hidden. "Leave me alone," he begged.  
  
Knux could see Sky shaking and began to sympathize. "Are you.... crying?" he asked with the same whisper.  
  
"No." Sky lied while he tried to wipe the tears off his face. He could feel Knux's hand on his chin, motioning him to look at him. He sniffled before he had the guts to look at him with his tear-stained face.  
  
Knux took one look at Sky's glazed eyes and almost broke down himself. "Don't cry. You're losing the sparkle in your eyes."  
  
Sky ignored the comment and tried not to look back into his eyes. "You still love her, don't you?" he asked.  
  
Knuckles paused, then sighed at the truth. "Sky, you have to understand something. Rouge and I-"  
  
"You're not answering my question." Sky interrupted. "Just admit it, you still love her."  
  
"It's getting easier to avoid lately." Knux confessed.  
  
"What?" Sky asked, not understanding what he just said.  
  
Knux continued. "Just listen to me, Sky. It's hard not to love someone, even when they hurt you. I can't say that for Rouge anymore. She lied to me and hurt me, and now she's doing the same to you. She's showed me a side of her that I will never love. Once she hurt the ones I love, it just doesn't feel the same anymore."  
  
"What do you mean by the ones you love?" he asked before he suddenly had an idea of what he meant. "Does that mean you.... you..." he trailed off because of a new feeling coming to him.  
  
"You've been here for me, and you haven't regretted our friendship once. I want to do the same for you, and I'm sorry for ever avoiding you when I first met you." Knux confessed while looking into his eyes. Sky smiled for the first time in hours. "We hooked up pretty fast, and I never tried to deny it. I don't care what Rouge or anyone says, it won't change how I feel..." he took Sky's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I, I love you, Sky."  
  
Sky's heart was beating wildly and he felt the butterflies in his stomach. "Oh God...." he breathed. He could feel more tears in his eyes as he said, "I loved you from the first time I saw you, and you know it. No poem could ever change the way I feel. I'm sorry for doubting you. I want to let you know that this means the world to me." He put his arms around Knuckles and let his presence comfort him.  
  
"I know." he agreed. He had the best feeling of happiness right now, like nothing could bring him down at that moment. He sat there and let Sky release his tears of joy.  
  
---  
  
"Oh my God...." Sasha gasped from the alleyway as she gazed at Knuckles and Sky.  
  
Rouge saw her expression and pulled her away from the sight. "What? What's happening?"  
  
"They just confessed their love for each other." Sasha explained.  
  
"What?!" Rouge yelled. She looked angry as random bystanders looked at her like she was insane. She ignored them and felt the denial coming on. "You must be joking."  
  
"No, it looks like your little plan brought them closer together." Sasha admitted.  
  
"No.... They must've saw me and are trying to play a joke on me, that's all." Rouge said while looking at them locked in their embrace.  
  
Sasha looked at her and shook her head. "When I agreed to do this, I figured he would be the crazy one, but it looks like I was wrong. I know you see the love between them. You're crazy if you can deny true love."  
  
"It's not true, I know it." Rouge growled.  
  
"Just let them be. You shouldn't have to ruin their love." Sasha advised.  
  
"There you go sounding like a therapist again." Rouge complained while rolling her eyes.  
  
"I'm not trying to be a therapist, I'm being a friend. Just move on. He has." Sasha said while looking their way.  
  
"I can't!" she admitted. "I miss him. If it wasn't for my actions, I would've said yes to his proposal and we'd be happy together." She could feel the hot tears stinging in her eyes. "I won't give up. If he won't take me back, I'll have to give him a reason."  
  
"Well, good luck, but I'm not reading any more poems." she joked.  
  
"I'm serious." Rouge confirmed. "No more games. This time, it's personal."  
  
---  
  
Shadow looked over at Sonic, who seemed to be in deep thought. "Hey, what are you thinking about?" he asked.  
  
"Shhh! I think I've got something." Sonic replied.  
  
Shadow looked at him suspiciously as he mouthed a few words to himself. "What are you up to?"  
  
Sonic flashed him an annoyed look. "Can't I surprise you for once?"  
  
"You definitely did a few months ago." Shadow countered. (A/N: For those who remember a certain birthday present in a fic of mine? Heh....)  
  
"This'll be even better." Sonic assured him before he got up and talked to the same fox who presented Sasha earlier.  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this." Shadow thought to himself as the fox approached the microphone again.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like someone else has caught the poetry bug. Give it up for Sonic the Hedgehog!"  
  
Everyone clapped and cheered including Shadow, who still gave him his suspicious look from the audience. He approached the microphone and smiled at his audience. "Hey, how's everyone doing tonight?" He got a few random replies from the audience, including a long complaint from a random pissed girl, which he couldn't help interrupting. "I just thought of this. I hope you like it." He gave one last look at his audience before he began.  
  
"I look at you/You greet me with a smile/An expression that tells me/It's been a while...." He flashed a longing stare at Shadow, who was now looking at him like he was crazy.  
  
"Since you told me/You wanted to explore/You wanted to control my very core...." Sonic put his hand on his heart as he emphasized the word "core."  
  
"Well, now it's my turn/To look at you from behind/Wrap my arms around you/And tell you you're mine...." He then used the microphone for imitating his dominance over Shadow.  
  
"I know you want me/Here's your chance/But maybe we should start off/With a little dance...." He gave Shadow a sexy smile as he began a slow dance onstage before he continued.  
  
"And then we can-"  
  
His vibe was interrupted by Shadow cheering wildly and the audience joined in. After several seconds, the applause died down. "I think you should come over here and we can talk about that 'dance.'" Shadow suggested. He got a few whoops from the audience as a first response.  
  
"There you go, trying to take control again." Sonic complained. "Why should I listen to you?"  
  
Shadow gave him a smirk while walking up on stage and whispering something in his ear. Sonic flashed an evil grin and grabbed his shirt. "I knew you would see things my way." The audience whooped and cheered as Sonic dragged him offstage by the shirt.  
  
---  
  
Knuckles smiled when Sky finally looked at him again. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Sky smiled back and replied, "I could never be better."  
  
"What do you mean? We haven't even..." Knuckles trailed off as he realized what he meant.  
  
"Hmmm...." Sky pondered. "And just what are you thinking of?"  
  
"Ummm..." Knux tried to find an answer, but he couldn't as he felt his cheeks get warmer.  
  
"Oh, you wanna see that, don't you? I was thinking the exact same thing a loooong time ago." Sky said, leading him on. "Well, what are you standing here for? Let's go!"  
  
"What about Sonic and Shadow?" Knux asked.  
  
"They'll understand." Sky assured. "I have a feeling they're not where we think they are."  
  
"Hedgehogs..." Knux sighed. "We could definitely outlast them any day."  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure." Sky commented.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Knux asked suspiciously.  
  
"Why don't we go to my house and see?" Sky suggested as he helped Knux stand up beside him. They clasped hands and walked off in the direction of Sky's house.  
  
---  
  
Hmmm, what'll happen? Maybe it's what you're thinking, maybe it's not. Have we heard the last of Rouge? I don't think so! Hope you tune in next time! Happy late Independence Day to all, even for those in other countries. Rock on, Wales! -hears insane-o-matic laughing his ass off in the background- Suggestions are always welcome! 


	10. Trick Me Part 1

Say hello to your insomnia-inflicted psycho friend with the personality of vodka! Wow, so much for an introduction.... Weird, huh? Sorry for the major delay, it was the comp's fault. I must warn y'all; there's some tangy stuff in this chapter...I couldn't resist. And who can guess what Rouge does next? Let's see if you guessed right while I seriously doubt your intelligence....  
  
Chapter 10: Trick Me Part 1  
  
The night sparkled with bright stars and the glow of the full moon in the peaceful neighborhood Knuckles and Sky were passing through. Sky couldn't stop smiling as he led Knux by the hand to his comfortable abode. Though Knux could see his eager expression, he couldn't begin to imagine the spark behind Sky's night eyes. When they approached the house, Knux stopped Sky from going any further. Before he could react, Knux asked, "What are you thinking about?"  
  
When Sky faced him, he could see Knux gazing into his eyes, which sparkled with the reflection of the stars. He tried to break free of his stare with a sarcastic remark. "What do you think?" He resumed leading Knux through the door, but he was making no progress when he wasn't responding to his movements. Instead, Knux pulled him closer and pressed his lips against Sky's. Before he could pursue some tongue action, Sky broke the kiss abruptly. "Hey, at least wait until we get into the house before I drive you crazy." Sky advised with a sexy grin. Knux gave in and let him lead him into the house again. It was pitch-black inside without the lights on, but neither bothered to care. They stopped at the foot of the stairs when Sky gave him a concerned look. "Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"I'm ready when you are." Knux assured him.  
  
"Well, in that case..." Sky trailed off after taking the first step and ascending the next. Knux followed doubtlessly until he "accidentally" tripped, causing Sky to fall and land with his back pressed against the stairs and Knux landing on top of him.  
  
"That's more like it." Knux purred before capturing his lips again. This time, Sky gave in, but occasionally climbed a stair slowly using his hands and feet to pull himself up and Knux followed so he could catch up with Sky's lips. He became more aroused as Sky's midsection came in constant contact with his own as they moved up the stairs. Once they got to the top, his eyes widened and he gasped in embarrassment as he felt his erection.  
  
Sky giggled while observing his sheepish smile. "Looks like I won that round." Knux still looked embarrassed, but he loved the tease. He heaved a sigh from the sudden heat he was feeling between them. "You look a little hot." Sky commented while tugging at Knux's loose shirt. "Here, let me help you." he offered before slipping the garment off his strong arms and leaving him in his wife-beater. "Feeling better now?" Before Knux could answer, he leaned back and stretched his revealed muscles.  
  
As he straightened up, he felt Sky's delicate hands under his shirt. He closed his eyes and gave a pleasurable sigh. "Wow, you never waste a dull moment, do you?" Knux asked breathlessly in between soft caresses up and down his chest.  
  
"It's been way too long, believe me." Sky purred before releasing his hands from the depths of his wife-beater and putting them over his head. As he moved his hands back, his feet followed as he crawled backwards away from Knux. In seconds, Knux was following him as he crawled forward, still keeping himself over Sky.  
  
"Flexible, aren't we?" Knux purred back as he realized that they were approaching Sky's room.  
  
"And creative." Sky added before they reached the edge of his bed. (A/N: -looks at Special- haha! Inside joke...) He got back on his feet, but remained in a squat while Knux was pressed against him with his lips to his ear.  
  
"It's looks like you're at the end of the line, so surrender." Knux whispered while tugging at Sky's pants and revealing his black boxers.  
  
Sky pushed him gently to the floor and overpowered him. "No, you first." he demanded softly as he slowly took off Knux's pants and showing his navy blue boxers. "So, we're even." he announced.  
  
"Not yet." Knux disagreed before Sky removed his own shirt. He gaped at his tight lean body, which was covered in sweat from being so close to Knux.  
  
"You like what you see?" Sky asked deviously.  
  
"Mmmmm, damn." Knux groaned while staring at him.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes." Sky commented before standing up and taking his place on his bed. Knux stood up soon after and took in the relaxed nature of the room, which fitted Sky well. The earthy-toned walls and the scented candles made him want to stay there forever. The sand-colored bed sheets reminded him of Angel Island's hottest deserts, but those deserts seemed like icebergs compared to how hot he really felt.  
  
Sky smiled as Knux joined him. It was hard to focus on anything but his loving eyes. "I feel like I could tell you anything," he breathed with a dreamy sigh.  
  
"Your secrets are safe with me." Knux assured him.  
  
"Thanks, love." Sky said before giving him a kiss on the cheek. "In return, I'll give you whatever you want, always."  
  
"I just want you to be yourself and be comfortable. I'm sure I'll love it." Knux promised.  
  
"Now, where were we?" Sky wondered. Knux was about to tell him before he was locked in a passionate kiss that was probably the most powerful kiss he had ever experienced in his life. He joined in with his tongue, savoring Sky's sweet taste. He felt like he was about to explode when Sky took his place on top of him. His breaths came in short gasps as Sky's lips played with his neck. He could feel a soft and slow grind in between them, causing them to moan louder. "I think I remember now." Sky declared before they had no clothing in between them...  
  
(A/N: If I had continued any further, I would probably get kicked off this site, so I stopped to be on the safe side. Can you say "HAH?" It's an inside joke between TT-X and me. If you really wanna know, just holla at me. Now, to continue... Damn, I'm so nasty.... and creative! -listens to Special LHAO-  
  
Moving on...it's still nighttime, though Shadow is waking up....)  
  
---  
  
Shadow woke up in bed feeling Sonic's arms around him. He turned to face him while looking at him with awe. "Sonic, I can't believe we just did that."  
  
Sonic adjusted himself as Shadow faced him. "Well, believe it. I've been trying to make that dream a reality for months." Sonic assured him. (A/N: And again, if I added what they did, I'd practically be screaming "Take me off fanfiction, I'm a sicko!" Looks like I'll be posting something else on mediaminer.... )  
  
"That was amazing. I should've let you go for it ages ago. I'm sorry." he apologized.  
  
"I just wish I had taken some pictures." Sonic suggested.  
  
"Maybe you can soon." Shadow implied with a sly look.  
  
"Hmm, I like the way you think." Sonic complimented.  
  
Shadow was about to comment, but the doorbell rang first. "I'll get it." he insisted before releasing himself from Sonic's grip. He quickly slipped on a pair of baggy black pants before he rushed downstairs and answered the door. Rouge stood behind it with an impatient look on her face.  
  
"Don't you hedgehogs ever give it a rest?" Rouge complained.  
  
"Ah, Rouge, it's so great to see you," he said with sarcasm. "Have you come to torture Sonic again?"  
  
"Actually, this involves you too, so go get him." she demanded.  
  
"I don't like to follow orders, so you can just wait until he gets down here." Shadow demanded back while looking to the stairs. "Which will be in 5...4...3...2...1...."  
  
In an instant, Sonic appeared from the stairs with an annoyed look. "What now, Rouge? ." he groaned.  
  
"What is with you two? That's no way to talk to your escort!" Rouge scolded.  
  
"Escort? What the hell are you talking about?" Sonic asked suspiciously.  
  
"We're taking a field trip, boys." Rouge answered with her arms crossed.  
  
"What if we don't want to go anywhere?" Shadow taunted.  
  
"It's not like you have a choice." she added.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sonic asked suspiciously.  
  
"Let's just say that I have something that'll ruin both of your reputations for life." Rouge replied with an evil smirk.  
  
"And what could you possibly-"Sonic began before she revealed three pictures in her hand. "W-Where'd you get those?" he stammered.  
  
"Never mind that. Now, are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?" she asked maliciously.  
  
"I could never be forced to go anywhere with a psycho bitch like you." Shadow insulted.  
  
"Don't make me do something you'll regret." she threatened with a dirty look.  
  
"Try me." Shadow teased. "What do I have to lose?" He could see the boiling impatience in her eyes as she stepped towards him with a death glare. She slipped her hand down his pants and grabbed what she wanted. When she looked up at him, he scoffed. "I know you wanted me, but damn. Do what you want." He said with a slick smile before he put his arms behind his head so they wouldn't get in her way. He looked back at Sonic, who looked as if he was going to pounce on her. He mouthed, "Don't worry" while he began squirming as she squeezed him. She tightened her grip on him gradually, but his expression remained blank. When she realized that, she let go and quickly released her hand from his bottom exterior. She stared at him weirdly. "What? I have a high tolerance for pain," he explained. "Plus, in some kind of twisted way, it felt kind of good." (A/N: For any disturbed peeps, get over it...I thought it was funny...)  
  
Both Sonic and Rouge gave him disgusted looks, but Shad gave Sonic a quick wink before his attention was locked on Rouge. "Okay, we'll go, but we have a right to know where we're going to be held hostage." Shadow said.  
  
Rouge began to explain, but was interrupted by Sonic, who was giving the wall behind her a suspicious look. His eyes narrowed as he asked Shadow, "Is there a fly in here?"  
  
Shad looked at the wall, then back at him. "Yeah, it's right there." he informed while pointing to the light switch.  
  
"I'll get it. Hold on." Sonic announced before retrieving a flyswatter. He ran to the wall and smacked the light switch hard, which turned the lights off. "Oops, sorry." he apologized.  
  
Rouge rolled her eyes in the darkness before someone snatched the pictures out of her hands. She screamed angrily and rushed to turn on the light. The two hedgehogs were nowhere in sight. She cursed herself for falling for their cheap trick. "Wherever you two are, you're going to get it the next time I see you." she growled before leaving.  
  
---  
  
As soon as Sonic heard Rouge fly away, he ran back into the living room laughing while Shadow came downstairs with the pictures in his hand.  
  
"That was too easy." he said with a smirk.  
  
"Priceless." Sonic added. "But was it really worth Rouge groping you?"  
  
"I would've never guessed...." Shadow thought out loud. "It hurts like hell, but tell her and you're a dead hog," he threatened.  
  
"I'll never tell." Sonic promised. "Plus, you need to relax. I'll make it all better." Shadow nodded and slowly made his way to the couch. Sonic saw the pain in his face and sighed. "How could you just sit still like that while she was..." Sonic trailed off at the disturbing memory.  
  
"That's a secret that should be kept to myself for a while." Shadow answered with a painful smile.  
  
"Whatever you say." Sonic said before going in the kitchen and getting some ice.  
  
---  
  
Sky and Knux held each other close while panting rapidly. Sky was the first to recover and kissed Knux's chest one last time. "You alright?" he asked.  
  
"Mmmmmmm..." was all he could say.  
  
"It's great to know that you're all mine now and nothing's going to change." Sky confessed.  
  
"Yeah..." Knux agreed. He was lost for words about the way he felt right now.  
  
"And I thought I never had a chance...." Sky sighed into his chest. "Look at me now."  
  
Knux smiled and stared into his eyes. "Your eyes look amazing at night."  
  
Sky chuckled as he felt his cheeks flush. "Thanks."  
  
"I guess that's where your name was originated from." Knux said.  
  
"Yeah. I was born at night and my father held me as he looked at the stars. I cried until I saw them. He gazed at the reflection through my eyes and my name was officially decided." Sky explained.  
  
Knux smiled at his memory. "That's very interesting."  
  
"You're the first person I've told this to." Sky confessed.  
  
"I'm happy to hear what you have to say." Knux said while pulling him closer.  
  
"I trust you completely." Sky added with a smile.  
  
"I know." Knux said with a yawn. It didn't take too long for Knux to rest his head on Sky's shoulder and fell asleep.  
  
Sky smiled and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Good night, love." he whispered before his own eyes began drooping.  
---  
  
Knux woke up to his cell phone ringing. Before he put a hand to his thigh, he realized that his phone was in his pants, which were on the floor from last night. He slowly crawled out of bed, careful not to wake Sky. He reached the phone and walked out of the room before he answered it. "What do you want?"  
  
"Wow, what a great way to greet one of your good friends." Shadow responded on the other end. "Is this a bad time?'  
  
"What time is it?" Knux asked.  
  
"Um, a little after two." Shad informed him.  
  
Knux's eyes widened. "Damn, I was out that long? It's been a while since I've slept so long."  
  
Shadow raised an eyebrow. "What were you doing last night?"  
  
"Um...." It was hard for him to put in words when he thought about it.  
  
"You're at Sky's, aren't you?" Shad asked with a sly smile.  
  
Knux sighed with a small smile. "Yeah..." Shadow chuckled. "So, how'd it go?"  
  
"It was.....awesome...." Knux confessed.  
  
"Well, that's great."  
  
"Yeah. So what did you call me for?" Knux asked suspiciously.  
  
"I was just wondering how you and Sky were." Shadow replied.  
  
"Oh. Is there any other reason?" Knux wondered.  
  
"Like what?" Shadow asked confused.  
  
"Like if Rouge is still after me or something. Did she come over or something?" Knux asked with the even more suspicion.  
  
"No." Shadow lied. "Don't worry about her. She can't change what's between you and Sky."  
  
"Yeah." Knux agreed. "Um, can I call you later?"  
  
"Sure. I won't keep you occupied."  
  
"Thanks, bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Knux walked back into the room and saw a conscious Sky stretching on the bed. "Sleep well?" he asked with a smirk.  
  
"You know it." Sky said with a sexy look before the doorbell rang. He rolled his eyes. "What's with all the interruptions?"  
  
"Do you want me to get it?" Knux offered.  
  
"Nah, I'll get it." Sky said before he jumped off the bed and put on his jeans. He left the room and descended the stairs quickly to answer the door. He opened the door and saw Sasha standing on the porch. "Hi." he greeted.  
  
"Hi." Sasha replied with a giggle.  
  
Sky felt her looking at his bare chest. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked.  
  
"No, it's okay." she said after finally taking her eyes off him. "I just came here to apologize for last night."  
  
"For the poem?" Sky asked curiously. She nodded at his assumption. "No, it's alright. It was great. It just triggered some things I tried to keep out of my mind."  
  
"I know. It was Rouge's idea." She waited for him to speak, but he just stared at her. "I didn't mean to get into your business. I saw you two confess your love last night and I told Rouge that she was wrong about trying to break you two up."  
  
"Yeah, she can be pretty persistent." Sky added.  
  
"Yeah." Sasha nodded in agreement. She had to admit Sky's stare was making her a little uneasy. "I just hope you can forgive me."  
  
"It's alright. I guess I can give you another chance." Sky assured her with a smile.  
  
Sasha smiled at him. "Thanks. I want to make it up to you as a friend. How about I treat you to dinner?"  
  
He thought for a few seconds, then gave her his answer. "I'm sure Knuckles won't mind."  
  
"Great." She paused and reached into her jeans' pocket and gave him a slip of paper with her number on it. "I know you're probably busy now, so call me later so we can talk details, okay?"  
  
"Sure. I'll see you later."  
  
"See ya." She turned and walked away before he closed the door. He saw Knuckles sitting on the couch and sat beside him.  
  
"We've only been together for a day and you're already getting phone numbers?" Knux joked.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it." Sky said with a smirk as he got closer to him. "I couldn't love anyone else even if I tried."  
  
Sky began kissing his lips, but Knux broke the kiss and smiled. "Did you see the way she was looking at you?"  
  
Sky laughed. "It's been a while since I've seen a girl look at me like that."  
  
"So, are you going to go out with her tonight?" Knux asked.  
  
"If it doesn't trigger your psycho jealous side." Sky replied.  
  
"Nah, I'm alright. Now I can go to Sonic and Shadow's and catch up with them."  
  
"Oh, good. I can meet you there later, okay?"  
  
"I can't wait." Knux said.  
  
"Cool. I'm going to go get ready then." Sky announced while getting up.  
  
"Already?" Knux asked with surprise.  
  
"She might get the wrong idea if we're out too late." Sky joked.  
  
Knux laughed as he heard Sky go upstairs and lay back on the couch and took in the last few days.  
  
---  
  
Whew, that was a little long. I decided to make this a two-parter, so look for that in about a week. I'ma be in Florida for my b-day for the weekend and the first part of next week. For now, I'ma work on that Desperation sequel. Until then, peace out! 


	11. Swift Comeback

Okay, it's been four months since I posted my last chapter. I've been so busy…

I hope everyone had a happy holiday. I know I did.

New things come into play in this next chappie… HE'S BACK!! Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Swift Comeback

Swift was jolted awake by a slight vibration from the airplane and he heaved a soft sigh as he took in the comforting atmosphere of first class. There was a great amount of space between him and the other passengers in the area and there were attractive flight attendants waiting to tend to his every need. He shifted in the maroon-colored seat while his mind drifted to his last night with Rouge. It tore him apart knowing that she really loved Knuckles more than she ever loved him. After hearing her speak her true feelings through her subconscious, he knew he couldn't live their lie of a relationship any longer. A tap on his shoulder interrupted his scrambled thoughts, and he turned to see a chestnut-colored squirrel on his left side in navy blue flight attire.

"Sir, are you alright?" she asked with a hint of concern.

"Yeah. I'm just having a rough day, that's all." he replied softly.

"Oh, that's too bad." she sympathized. "Would you like something to make you feel better?"

His natural response would've been a request for a private massage, but he was definitely not in the mood for one. "A glass of water will be fine."

"Coming right up." she said with a smile before disappearing down a hallway. A few minutes later, she returned with an iced glass filled to the brim.

"Thank you." he said after taking the glass.

"I hope your day gets better, sir." she said before walking away again.

Swift sighed again before taking his first sip. With every following tilt of his glass, the memory of the night they met began to take over his mind temporarily…

---

(A/N: This flashback wouldn't have been possible without EchidnaSquared. The rp (this flashback) we had gave me more insight into Swift's character. Thanks babe! -hugs-)

_He was leaning against a street corner in Station Square as if he were waiting for something. He had his arms crossed near his chest that was hidden under a navy blue button down shirt and his eyes were focused on the other side of the street. It had been over three months since he had been physical with another female, so he would wait on different street corners to see what was in store for him. Having no luck for countless nights was making him a little restless. _

_His eyes glanced across the street once more and he saw a curvaceous young bat in a floral patterned white dress. She gave him a quick look and continued walking and he smirked and focused his intense jade eyes on her. It was almost like she heard him call to her mentally since she stopped and saw him on the opposite side of the street. He approached her with the same sexy grin on his face._

"_Hey baby, a girl like you shouldn't be around here alone." He said with a smooth tone that could convince any lady to lay with him._

_She dismissed the comment and replied, "I can handle myself alright, you know."_

"_I'm sure a biiiig girl like you," he droned while scanning her breasts, "and that has multiple meanings, can take care. But still, people can take advantage, darlin'."_

"_Like I said, no one can mess with me without a fight, including a desperate bastard like yourself." She declared to him._

"_Don't be so hostile, babe. I'm just glad to see one of my own kind, 'cause I've never seen a fellow bat before…at least not one as attractive as you are…." he assured her while continued to stare at her voluptuous form._

"_That still doesn't mean that I'm interested." She said with a giggle, which slightly let her guard down._

"_Somehow, I find that hard to believe…especially due to the fact that you're looking at my crotch…" He moved closer to her as he saw her face flush. "C'mon babe, why are you so annoyed?"_

_She crossed her arms and scoffed, "If you really want to know, I just got into an argument with my boyfriend." _

_He imitated her move while saying, "Well, you look desperate and no babe, I don't mean that as an insult to you or me. Either way, he's a fool to lose out on such a lovely lady like yourself." He then moved close enough to let the back of his hand grace her cheek. "Make no mistake, I'm no hustler, but when it comes to my own kind, I can't stop myself. I bet I can give you all the loving he has tripled." _

_He moved in to kiss her, but she evaded his attempt. "I don't wanna abandon him, but…" she stopped as she gazed into his eyes. _

_He moved in again, but instead of trying to kiss her, he whispered, "I'm not in this for love, babe…but if you want me to pleasure you, I'll go the whole ten miles…"_

"_Just ten? Are you sure about that?" she asked in a sultry tone. _

_He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed firmly. "You choose the number, and I'll go there…and more…." He extended his hand to her and she took it while leading her towards his car. She climbed into the backseat and he followed suit. He gripped the seat and pulled himself closer to her. "Where should I start, hon?" He tilted his head towards her breasts and resumed his gazing. "Perhaps there…"_

_Rouge rested her back against the window as he pulled her dress down to her waist. She sighed desperately as he began to have his way with her…._

---

He decided to interrupt the memory since the reality of her being with Knuckles came to mind. Swift had to admit that he did love her in a way. He never knew the true meaning of love, but he knew that it was more than physical attraction and he wasn't willing to give so much of his lifestyle for it. At that moment, he knew that he wouldn't want to risk the chance of seeing Rouge while he tried to cope with losing her. He then decided to leave Station Square as soon as he got there.

---

Sky came downstairs completely dressed in a black tank top and blue jeans and Knuckles was still on the couch.

"So, you've decided to put on a shirt today." Knux said while watching Sky.

"And I'm sure that disappoints you, right?" Sky joked with a fake pout.

"Me and all the other girls that would've been all over you." Knux replied.

"It sounds like someone's jealous. Are you sure you're okay with this?" Sky asked in a worried tone.

"Of course I am. I'm just playing with you." Knux assured him with a smile.

"Heh, okay." Sky came into the living room, stood behind the couch, and wrapped his loving arms around Knux's neck. As soon as Knux faced him, Sky locked lips with him. They got tangled in each other's taste for a few minutes until the doorbell rang.

Sky broke the kiss. "I guess that's for me."

"Okay, you have fun."

"You too, babe." He answered the door and greeted the female hedgehog behind it. "Hi Sa—" he started before he looked at her. She was wearing a black and blue striped V-neck shirt that teased the curves of her cleavage and a nice pair of black jeans with shiny black boots.

"Hey…" she greeted with a hint of sensuality. "You look…nice…"

"Um, thanks." he replied uneasily. He looked at her with a smile. "You look great."

"I know." she added with confidence as she ran a hand through her slicked back quills. "So, are you ready?"

"Yeah." He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. After he locked the door, they began their long walk towards the restaurant.

There was silence for about 30 seconds until Sasha broke it. "So, how's Knuckles?"

Sky smiled at the mention of his name and answered, "He's fine. He's going to Sonic and Shadow's place."

"Oh, fun." She commented happily.

"So, where are you taking me?" Sky asked with curiosity.

"A nice Cajun restaurant not too far from here." she answered.

"Interesting." Sky thought to himself.

"You don't mind walking, do you?" she asked with a bit of embarrassment.

"Oh, I love taking walks. Lead the way." He said while extending his arms so she could start walking first. He followed her lead and they began talking instantly.

"So, what's on your mind?" Sasha asked him.

"I'm curious about what's gonna happen at this restaurant."

"Don't worry. I won't hit on you too much." She said before she realized the true meaning of her words.

Sky laughed as her face began to flush a rosy color. "I knew it! You _do_ have a crush on me!"

"Yeah, well…" She took a few seconds to get her thoughts together. "I just want to be your friend. I have no intentions on ruining the relationship you have with Knuckles." she confessed.

"I know. You're very beautiful and you could have any guy you wanted. I'm sure of it." He assured her.

She beamed at his words and smiled to show her gratitude. "That's sweet."

They approached the center of the bustling city, where there were shopping centers, restaurants, and people all over the place. Sasha and Sky managed to find an empty spot on the sidewalk and they continued walking. Fifteen minutes later, Sasha absentmindedly led them past the restaurant and Sky stopped and turned to the building they just passed. "Is this the place?"

Sasha stopped and took a step back. "Huh? Wai—" she was interrupted by tripping over a stranger's feet. She gained her balance and faced the male, who had a pissed expression on his face. Her eyes widened slightly at his intense glare. "I'm sorry." she apologized as her face grew hot with embarrassment.

His look relaxed as he closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "It's alright. I'm sorry if I scared you with my death glare."

"Nah, I deserved it." Sasha insisted. She looked over at Sky and he was hinting at her to talk to this man some more, so she faced the stranger again. "My friend and I were planning on eating at this restaurant tonight. Would you like to join us?"

He looked over at Sky and replied, "Are you sure you don't want any alone time with your boyfriend?"

Sasha gave Sky an evil glare when he started laughing hysterically. "He's not my boyfriend, and I insist that you join us."

"Whatever you want." He agreed with a smile.

Sasha remained kept her calm composure while her mind was screaming at her on the inside. "Great." She said with the least enthusiasm possible. "I'm Sasha and this is my friend, Sky."

He introduced himself sincerely. "I'm Swift. Nice to meet you both."

"Nice to meet you." Sky replied and shook his hand.

"Yeah, same here." Sasha finally replied after a temporary silence. "Let's go have fun, guys. Have you ever been here, Swift?"

"A few times."

"I haven't." Sky announced.

"Cool, we can show you around, then." Sasha said. Swift got to the door first and held it open for them. Sasha smiled at him and Sky silently thanked him. There was a dark hallway with an opening on the left side and one straight ahead that went back to the outdoor area. Sasha led the way and stopped where the opening on the left was. "This is the bar and that opening over there is where we can sit and order our food." Sky nodded and him and Swift followed her to the next opening. Small, rounded black tables decorated the patio and a few selected tables had big green umbrellas over them. Swift took the lead and hinted towards the nicest table in the corner and he pulled out a chair for Sasha. She let out a small giggle before she thanked him with a smile. "It's the least I can do." He insisted with sincerity.

Sasha's smile remained on her face when Sky sat down and winked at her. She then focused her attention back to Swift. "I've been in Station Square for a while, but I've never seen you around here."

"Heh, I guess I've been keeping it low key for a while," he said with a smirk.

Sky stood up before Sasha could pick up on her and Swift's conversation. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Take your time." Sasha joked before he left and turned back to the attractive male bat sitting across from her. "That's cool. So, what do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I don't do much since I inherited quite a bit of money from my father." He replied calmly.

"I see. You're hiding from all the girls that want you for your money, am I right?" she guessed.

Swift chuckled for the first time since he was with Rouge. "Oh, I'm not phased by them. I'm not the best when it comes to relationships."

"I know what you mean," Sasha agreed.

"I don't think you do. You seem too sweet to have ever been in the situations I've been in."

"I don't know whether to argue with you or thank you for the compliment," she said with a laugh.

"In that case, you're welcome. I was once with this girl who was already taken, and now she left me so she could go back to her boyfriend."

"Are you serious?" she asked with surprise. After he nodded, she added, "My friend was stupid enough to stray away from her soon-to-be fiancée like that."

"I guess we're not talking about the same girl then."

"I guess not," she assumed. "Everyone makes mistakes with love sometimes and you eventually learn from them. You're just destined for someone else, that's all."

"Are you hinting something?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? I'm just saying what I know," she said with confidence.

"I can tell when someone is into me," he informed her.

Her voice rose steadily as her face heated up once more. "Oh really?"

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," he said while crossing his arms.

"No, I guess not," she said nervously while she tried to keep her hands still on the table and she tried to focus on something other than his eyes.

He reached over the table and took one of her shaky hands. "Don't get all shy on me now. You're one of the most interesting girls I have ever met. I'm glad you invited me here."

She giggled and gained the nerve to look at him again. "Me too."

He rose to his feet and moved to the seat closest to her and made himself comfortable beside her. Sasha started to relax a little and she wrapped her arms around his upper arm. She sighed as she took in his warmth. "So, where were we?"

---

Sky knew he was doing Sasha a favor when he left and headed for the bathroom. He laughed to himself when he recalled Sasha's look on her face when she first saw Swift. It reminded him of the first time he saw Knuckles in that nightclub, which seemed so long ago. He got caught up in reminiscing as he walked down the dark hallway so much that he didn't watch where he was going until he tripped over someone going the opposite way. He quickly got up and extended his hand out to the fallen woman. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's alright. No harm done, besides what you've already done to Knuckles," she replied harshly and pushed away his hand.

He rolled his eyes when Rouge got up and glared at him. "You just keep popping up everywhere, don't you?"

"Oh, this time was a coincidence, believe it or not," she huffed.

"Whatever." he scoffed and continued on his way.

"Wait!" Rouge called after him.

He turned back around slowly. "What?" he asked, annoyed.

"C'mon, we used to be friends. So what if we're after the same man?" She flashed him an unreadable expression.

"I've never recalled us being friends. You were just a mere obstacle in my way," he sneered.

"Well, I tried to be nice, but no one wants to accept that," she complained.

"Can you blame everyone? You're always up to no good," he argued.

"I make one mistake and everyone bitches about it. I gave Knuckles the time of his life, and everyone completely forgets that and are so happy that he's with you, but only I know the truth."

"Oh, I'm just _eager_ to know 'the truth,'" he mocked her sarcastically.

"You know he just feels sorry for you, and so does everyone else. I don't care if you believe me or not. Once it blows up in your face, you're gonna come crying to me and I'll laugh in your face."

Sky didn't get a chance to retaliate since she walked away so fast. He released an angry sigh as he made his way into the restroom. He looked into the mirror above the sink and brushed the dirt off his clothes from his fall. He turned on the warm water and splashed some of it on his face and sighed again. Before he could even consider that Rouge was right, he dismissed the possibility. Sky promised himself that he wouldn't let her words get to him as he dried his face with a paper towel and made his way back to the patio.

When he saw Sasha's arms around Sky, he couldn't help but forget his recent encounter with Rouge and smile at how cute they looked as a couple. He made his way to Sasha's old seat and said, "You know, we can always reschedule if you two want to spend some time together."

"I'm sorry if I ruined your night." Swift apologized to Sasha.

"Does it look like I'm disappointed?" she replied with a smile.

"It's fine. I can just go back home to my man." Sky insisted.

"Oh, you're gay?" Swift asked with the least amount of surprise. "That's interesting to know. I hope you have fun, haha."

"Well, that's the most interesting response that I've heard so far." Sky commented with a laugh. "I hope to see both of you really soon."

"Same here, Sky. Thanks for being so understanding." Sasha said and released her grip on Swift. She stood up and hugged Sky.

"It's nothing. I know how it feels to find someone special," he said while returning the embrace.

"See you later, Sky." Swift said as he walked away and returned to their picture perfect romantic pose.

---

Okay, I know this wasn't as great as other chapters, but I still wanna hear your thoughts. If you have any ideas at all, please feel free to submit them. Since I didn't put everything I wanted in here, the next chapter should be up soon, give or take a couple of weeks. My new games and school starting next week may slow it down, so I don't want to make any promises. I'm out for now!

--Crazy aka Salsa


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